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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: cell · club · cue · prune · squash · coach · rest · ruler

  1. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. He was locked up in a ________________.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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. club — for golf
  4. cue — a signal
  5. squash — the sport
  6. prune — to trim
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. rest — what's left
  9. cell — a phone
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. prune — to trim
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. club — for dancing
  15. squash — to crush
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. rest — a break
  18. cell — in a prison
  19. rest — what's left
  20. club — a group
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. cell — in biology
  24. cue — a hint

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