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

  1. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  2. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. Have you settled on a ________________?
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. prune — to trim
  3. board — a committee
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. track — to keep track
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. lean — thin
  9. rule — government
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. board — to get on
  15. date — the fruit
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. rule — a law
  19. prune — to trim
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. foot — a measure
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. track — a path
  24. track — a song

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