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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 120 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.

Make a worksheet

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: season · rule · root · nail · net · arm · scale · cue

  1. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. season — of the year
  4. root — of a word
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. scale — in music
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. net — after costs
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. net — for catching
  12. rule — government
  13. cue — for pool
  14. scale — size or range
  15. season — in sport
  16. cue — a hint
  17. root — the cause
  18. rule — a law
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. arm — a part of something
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. root — of a plant
  23. net — in sport
  24. nail — for a hammer

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