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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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Word bank
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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: lash · prune · court · pound · fan · ball · row · stem

  1. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. row — a line
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. court — of a king
  5. court — of law
  6. prune — to trim
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. stem — to come from
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. ball — a great time
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. prune — to trim
  16. pound — a weight
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. pound — to hit hard
  19. court — for sport
  20. ball — a dance
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. lash — to lash out

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