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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. prune — to trim
  3. rash — hasty
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. fine — high quality
  8. rash — a series
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. fine — all right
  12. board — a committee
  13. prune — to trim
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. row — a line
  16. board — to get on
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. row — to paddle

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