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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: rule · calf · wave · racket · prune · club · pass · cue

  1. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  2. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. club — for golf
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. club — for dancing
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. rule — a law
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. pass — a permit
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. cue — a hint
  17. cue — a signal
  18. prune — to trim
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. prune — to trim
  23. cue — for pool
  24. rule — government

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