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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: net · pound · rash · bat · last · wax · can · rule

  1. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — a law
  2. rash — a series
  3. last — to go on
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. pound — a weight
  6. net — for catching
  7. net — in sport
  8. rash — hasty
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. net — after costs
  11. can — a tin
  12. bat — the animal
  13. wax — to grow
  14. pound — for dogs
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. bat — for baseball
  17. last — finally
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. rule — government
  20. pound — to hit hard
  21. last — final
  22. can — to be able to
  23. bat — in an idiom
  24. can — a tin

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