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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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468
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: rash · prune · ruler · mate · band · fan · cue · club

  1. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. prune — to trim
  6. mate — a friend
  7. club — for golf
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. mate — to breed
  11. mate — a partner
  12. cue — a hint
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. club — a group
  15. rash — hasty
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. prune — to trim
  18. cue — a signal
  19. rash — a series
  20. band — a music group
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. band — a ring
  23. cue — for pool
  24. ruler — for measuring

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