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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: bound · scale · bass · rule · season · land · can · wound

  1. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. can — a tin
  3. season — in sport
  4. can — a tin
  5. wound — an injury
  6. bound — obliged
  7. rule — government
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. rule — a law
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. land — ground
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. season — of the year
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. wound — an injury
  16. land — a country
  17. scale — in music
  18. wound — past of 'wind'
  19. bound — tied together
  20. land — to come down
  21. bound — certain
  22. can — to be able to
  23. bass — the fish
  24. bass — low music

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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