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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: content · cue · drill · wake · squash · rush · current · prune

  1. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. squash — to crush
  5. prune — to trim
  6. prune — to trim
  7. drill — the tool
  8. current — happening now
  9. rush — hurry
  10. drill — army training
  11. content — the amount
  12. content — videos and posts
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. squash — the sport
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. current — of water
  17. drill — a practice
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. cue — a hint
  20. current — electric
  21. content — happy
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. wake — a trail
  24. cue — a signal

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