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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: scale · cue · rule · club · fine · plane · drill · saw

  1. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. club — for dancing
  4. cue — a signal
  5. rule — government
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. drill — army training
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. drill — a practice
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. rule — a law
  12. plane — a tool
  13. drill — the tool
  14. club — a group
  15. fine — all right
  16. saw — the tool
  17. cue — for pool
  18. cue — a hint
  19. fine — high quality
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. saw — the tool
  22. scale — size or range
  23. scale — in music
  24. rule — to rule out

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