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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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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: net · content · rule · saw · bat · last · club · can

  1. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  6. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  7. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  10. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. saw — the tool
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. saw — the tool
  5. content — the amount
  6. rule — government
  7. bat — the animal
  8. net — for catching
  9. bat — in an idiom
  10. content — videos and posts
  11. net — after costs
  12. last — finally
  13. last — to go on
  14. club — for dancing
  15. content — happy
  16. net — in sport
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. club — for golf
  19. rule — a law
  20. can — a tin
  21. bat — for baseball
  22. can — to be able to
  23. club — a group
  24. last — final

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