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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: bowl · hand · row · board · rule · track · prune · bay

  1. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  24. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. hand — in cards
  3. rule — government
  4. hand — help
  5. rule — a law
  6. board — a committee
  7. row — to paddle
  8. track — a path
  9. board — to get on
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. row — a line
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. rule — to rule out
  21. track — to keep track
  22. prune — to trim
  23. hand — part of the body
  24. prune — to trim

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