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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 · key · row · scale · cell · nail · mouse · rule

  1. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. He was locked up in a ________________.
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in biology
  2. key — in music
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. rule — government
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. row — to paddle
  7. fine — high quality
  8. scale — size or range
  9. fine — all right
  10. key — the most important part
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. cell — a phone
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. scale — in music
  15. cell — in a prison
  16. rule — a law
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. row — a line
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. key — for a lock
  23. rule — to rule out
  24. nail — for a hammer

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