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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: mark · straw · cue · prune · sharp · mug · pitcher · last

  1. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  2. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. cue — a hint
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. last — finally
  7. prune — to trim
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. last — to go on
  10. mark — a trace
  11. sharp — clever
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. mug — a face
  17. cue — a signal
  18. mug — to rob
  19. last — final
  20. mark — a grade
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. mug — a cup
  23. prune — to trim
  24. pitcher — a jug

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