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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: straw · scale · rule · object · cue · bass · tube · net

  1. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  2. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. rule — a law
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. bass — low music
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. cue — a signal
  8. object — an aim
  9. scale — size or range
  10. bass — the fish
  11. cue — for pool
  12. straw — to clutch at straws
  13. scale — in music
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. object — a thing
  17. tube — the underground
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. cue — a hint
  20. tube — a container
  21. object — to protest
  22. net — after costs
  23. net — for catching
  24. net — in sport

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com