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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: fine · deal · scale · club · court · mine · squash · cue

  1. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. court — of a king
  3. club — for dancing
  4. cue — for pool
  5. scale — in music
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. club — for golf
  8. cue — a signal
  9. scale — size or range
  10. fine — all right
  11. squash — to crush
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. mine — for digging
  14. squash — the sport
  15. court — for sport
  16. fine — high quality
  17. cue — a hint
  18. deal — to handle
  19. club — a group
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. court — of law
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. mine — an explosive
  24. deal — a big deal

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