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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: fan · jam · ruler · net · bank · content · bowl · scale

  1. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — a tight spot
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. bank — of a river
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. scale — in music
  6. bank — for money
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. net — in sport
  11. net — for catching
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. content — happy
  15. jam — in traffic
  16. content — the amount
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. bank — for money
  19. jam — to spread on bread
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. scale — size or range
  22. net — after costs
  23. content — videos and posts
  24. ruler — a monarch

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