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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: jam · rule · chip · squash · bank · scale · mug · net

  1. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. squash — the sport
  3. jam — to spread on bread
  4. net — for catching
  5. jam — a tight spot
  6. chip — to eat
  7. mug — a face
  8. jam — in traffic
  9. chip — for betting
  10. rule — to rule out
  11. scale — in music
  12. mug — a cup
  13. net — after costs
  14. bank — of a river
  15. rule — a law
  16. squash — to crush
  17. bank — for money
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. bank — for money
  20. mug — to rob
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. scale — size or range
  23. net — in sport
  24. rule — government

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