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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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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: cell · deal · fork · ground · scale · cue · kick · drill

  1. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. He was locked up in a ________________.
  4. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. cue — a signal
  3. cell — in a prison
  4. cell — a phone
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. cell — in biology
  7. drill — army training
  8. cue — a hint
  9. deal — to handle
  10. scale — in music
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. fork — in a road
  13. cue — for pool
  14. kick — in football
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. drill — the tool
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. ground — a position
  19. drill — a practice
  20. ground — crushed
  21. ground — the earth
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. kick — a thrill
  24. fork — a garden tool

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