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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 116 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 · stem · stock · can · cue · game · track · prune

  1. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  2. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. game — a match
  5. track — to keep track
  6. stock — shares
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. cue — for pool
  9. stem — to come from
  10. prune — to trim
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. cue — a hint
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. prune — to trim
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. stock — goods
  17. track — a song
  18. can — a tin
  19. track — a path
  20. can — to be able to
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. can — a tin
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. game — wild animals

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