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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 116 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: rush · straw · cue · club · bowl · prune · stick · plane

  1. The ________________ took off on time.
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. cue — a signal
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. cue — for pool
  5. prune — to trim
  6. club — for dancing
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. rush — hurry
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. club — a group
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. club — for golf
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. prune — to trim
  22. cue — a hint
  23. plane — a tool
  24. bowl — a dish

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