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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 · bound · staff · scale · jam · club · suit · land

  1. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  16. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. When are we going to ________________?
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — a law
  2. rule — government
  3. staff — employees
  4. staff — employees
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. land — ground
  7. bound — tied together
  8. suit — in cards
  9. club — for dancing
  10. club — a group
  11. club — for golf
  12. jam — a tight spot
  13. suit — clothes
  14. bound — certain
  15. jam — in traffic
  16. jam — to spread on bread
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. scale — in music
  19. land — to come down
  20. scale — size or range
  21. bound — obliged
  22. staff — a stick
  23. suit — to fit
  24. land — a country

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