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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: ball · jam · bay · rush · rule · rash · scale · bound

  1. The King held a masked ________________.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  8. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. ball — a great time
  3. scale — size or range
  4. bound — tied together
  5. rule — government
  6. scale — in music
  7. jam — to spread on bread
  8. jam — a tight spot
  9. rash — hasty
  10. bound — certain
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. rule — a law
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. jam — in traffic
  15. rash — a series
  16. bound — obliged
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. rush — hurry
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. ball — a round shape

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