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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: club · net · lie · cue · ruler · file · prune · date

  1. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  23. Have you settled on a ________________?
  24. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. net — after costs
  3. net — for catching
  4. cue — for pool
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. cue — a hint
  7. club — for golf
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. file — a tool
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. cue — a signal
  13. date — the fruit
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. club — for dancing
  17. net — in sport
  18. club — a group
  19. prune — to trim
  20. prune — to trim
  21. file — a line of people
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. file — a document

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