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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 · snap · ruler · mouse · club · ground · cue · content

  1. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  20. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. club — for dancing
  3. club — for golf
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. ground — a position
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. snap — to click
  8. scale — size or range
  9. scale — in music
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. content — happy
  12. ground — the earth
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. ground — crushed
  18. cue — a signal
  19. content — videos and posts
  20. content — the amount
  21. club — a group
  22. cue — for pool
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. cue — a hint

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