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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 116 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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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: cue · rule · scale · ruler · fine · game · perch · kid

  1. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  23. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. perch — the fish
  3. game — a match
  4. cue — a hint
  5. fine — high quality
  6. rule — government
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. kid — child
  10. cue — for pool
  11. scale — size or range
  12. rule — a law
  13. game — wild animals
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. scale — in music
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. cue — a signal
  20. fine — all right
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  23. kid — to tease
  24. ruler — for measuring

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