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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: scale · cue · prune · chest · squash · bulb · stick · object

  1. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. cue — a signal
  4. chest — of your body
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. object — an aim
  7. bulb — for light
  8. chest — a box
  9. prune — to trim
  10. bulb — for light
  11. scale — in music
  12. prune — to trim
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. cue — a hint
  15. chest — of your body
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. scale — size or range
  20. object — to protest
  21. squash — the sport
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. squash — to crush
  24. object — a thing

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