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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 120 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: prune · stick · shower · cue · ruler · snap · court · current

  1. The ball is in your ________________.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  13. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

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

Answer key

  1. court — for sport
  2. current — of water
  3. cue — a signal
  4. cue — a hint
  5. shower — to wash
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. prune — to trim
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. current — electric
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. shower — a meteor shower
  13. shower — rain
  14. court — of law
  15. cue — for pool
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. current — happening now
  21. snap — to click
  22. court — of a king
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. prune — to trim

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