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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: prune · object · present · leaves · last · march · deal · board

  1. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. False peace will not ________________.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. prune — to trim
  3. march — music
  4. present — the time now
  5. present — a gift
  6. object — a thing
  7. march — the month
  8. board — a committee
  9. object — an aim
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. prune — to trim
  13. last — final
  14. march — the month
  15. object — to protest
  16. deal — to handle
  17. board — to get on
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. last — to go on
  20. present — there
  21. last — finally
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. board — a flat piece

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