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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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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: prune · march · cell · ruler · row · cue

  1. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. He was locked up in a ________________.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. prune — to trim
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. cell — in biology
  5. march — the month
  6. prune — to trim
  7. row — to paddle
  8. cue — a signal
  9. cell — a phone
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. march — the month
  12. cell — in a prison
  13. cue — a hint
  14. cue — for pool
  15. row — a line
  16. march — music
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. ruler — a monarch

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