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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: net · jam · rush · lie · scale · swing · rule · land

  1. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. David sat on the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. rule — a law
  3. rush — hurry
  4. land — ground
  5. net — for catching
  6. jam — a tight spot
  7. swing — music
  8. jam — to spread on bread
  9. lie — to recline
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. scale — size or range
  13. rule — government
  14. scale — in music
  15. land — a country
  16. net — after costs
  17. swing — in golf
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. land — to come down
  21. jam — in traffic
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. swing — to play on

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