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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
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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: mate · fine · scale · saw · arm · cue

  1. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. mate — a partner
  4. mate — a friend
  5. scale — in music
  6. saw — the tool
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. scale — size or range
  10. cue — a signal
  11. fine — high quality
  12. cue — for pool
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. saw — the tool
  15. fine — all right
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. mate — to breed
  18. saw — past of 'see'

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