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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. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. row — a quarrel
  3. board — to get on
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. board — a committee
  11. row — a line
  12. prune — to trim
  13. present — the time now
  14. ground — crushed
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. ground — a position
  18. ground — the earth
  19. row — to paddle
  20. present — there
  21. prune — to trim
  22. present — a gift
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. racket — a loud noise

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