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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 · fine · rule · court · band · safe · stem · scale

  1. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. scale — size or range
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. court — of a king
  8. fine — high quality
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. scale — in music
  11. fine — all right
  12. court — for sport
  13. band — a ring
  14. net — after costs
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. rule — a law
  17. rule — government
  18. stem — to come from
  19. net — for catching
  20. court — of law
  21. net — in sport
  22. band — a music group
  23. safe — a strongbox
  24. fine — a penalty

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