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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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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: prune · foot · chair · cue · track · club · root · ruler

  1. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  20. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  21. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. cue — a signal
  3. track — to keep track
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. root — of a plant
  6. track — a song
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. foot — a measure
  9. cue — for pool
  10. cue — a hint
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. root — the cause
  13. prune — to trim
  14. track — a path
  15. club — for dancing
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. prune — to trim
  19. chair — to sit on
  20. foot — part of the body
  21. chair — a professorship
  22. chair — a leader
  23. club — a group
  24. root — of a word

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