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

  1. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. Have you settled on a ________________?
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. board — to get on
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. date — the fruit
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. chair — a professorship
  13. chair — a leader
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. prune — to trim
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. chair — to sit on
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. board — a committee
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. fork — in a road

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