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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 · ruler · deal · present · bat · cue · date · branch

  1. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  2. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  3. Have you settled on a ________________?
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  13. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. prune — to trim
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. deal — to handle
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. bat — for baseball
  8. cue — a hint
  9. date — the fruit
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. branch — a division
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. bat — in an idiom
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. present — the time now
  16. cue — a signal
  17. bat — the animal
  18. present — a gift
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. present — there
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. prune — to trim

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