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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: band · mine · fine · cabinet · scale · content · ruler · cue

  1. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. band — a ring
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. content — videos and posts
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. scale — in music
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. cue — a signal
  10. fine — all right
  11. content — the amount
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. fine — high quality
  14. band — a music group
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. cue — for pool
  18. scale — size or range
  19. cue — a hint
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. content — happy
  22. mine — for digging
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. mine — an explosive

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