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

Word bank: board · bay · court · lie · prune · row · race · mark

  1. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  24. 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. bay — to keep at bay
  2. mark — a trace
  3. court — for sport
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. court — of law
  6. row — a line
  7. lie — to recline
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. court — of a king
  10. race — the arms race
  11. board — a committee
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. prune — to trim
  14. race — a contest
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. mark — a grade
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. prune — to trim
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. board — to get on
  23. race — humankind
  24. 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