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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: ruler · leaves · stick · cue · pitcher · prune · key · drill

  1. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. prune — to trim
  4. key — in music
  5. drill — the tool
  6. cue — for pool
  7. prune — to trim
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. drill — army training
  11. cue — a signal
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. key — for a lock
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. drill — a practice
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. key — the most important part

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