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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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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: fork · ball · board · cue · row · prune · pitcher · rest

  1. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. rest — what's left
  3. row — to paddle
  4. prune — to trim
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. row — a line
  8. cue — for pool
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. cue — a signal
  12. board — to get on
  13. cue — a hint
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. board — a committee
  17. fork — in a road
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. rest — a break
  20. ball — a dance
  21. rest — what's left
  22. ball — a great time
  23. prune — to trim
  24. pitcher — a jug

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