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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: rule · net · ruler · cap · scale · ball · trunk · wound

  1. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. ball — a dance
  3. net — in sport
  4. cap — a lid
  5. wound — an injury
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. rule — government
  8. net — after costs
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. scale — size or range
  12. rule — a law
  13. net — for catching
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. ball — a great time
  16. wound — an injury
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. cap — a hat
  21. scale — in music
  22. wound — past of 'wind'
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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