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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 120 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. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  2. David sat on the ________________.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. False peace will not ________________.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. swing — to play on
  3. board — a committee
  4. swing — in golf
  5. prune — to trim
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. scale — in music
  8. club — for dancing
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. board — to get on
  12. swing — music
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. last — final
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. club — a group
  18. last — to go on
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. last — finally
  21. stand — to bear
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. club — for golf
  24. scale — size or range

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