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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: fine · ruler · roll · straw · game · mine · can · scale

  1. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. We're on a ________________ here.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. scale — in music
  4. roll — a list
  5. fine — high quality
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. roll — on a roll
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. scale — size or range
  10. fine — all right
  11. can — a tin
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. can — to be able to
  15. roll — a cake
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. game — wild animals
  19. mine — for digging
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. game — a match
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. can — a tin

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