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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: prune · capital · sharp · ruler · leaves · straw · cue · content

  1. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. prune — to trim
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. content — the amount
  6. content — happy
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. capital — money
  9. sharp — clever
  10. prune — to trim
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. capital — a big letter
  13. cue — a hint
  14. cue — for pool
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. content — videos and posts
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. capital — a city
  21. cue — a signal
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. ruler — for measuring

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