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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: rule · cue · kid · bear · mug · mark · present · prune

  1. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  11. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. cue — for pool
  3. bear — the animal
  4. cue — a signal
  5. present — a gift
  6. rule — a law
  7. kid — child
  8. prune — to trim
  9. cue — a hint
  10. rule — to rule out
  11. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  12. mug — a face
  13. mark — a grade
  14. rule — government
  15. mug — to rob
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. mug — a cup
  19. kid — to tease
  20. present — the time now
  21. prune — to trim
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. present — there
  24. mark — a trace

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