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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: board · rash · prune · court · fine · row · current · stock

  1. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. current — of water
  3. row — a line
  4. current — electric
  5. rash — a series
  6. fine — high quality
  7. court — of a king
  8. court — of law
  9. stock — shares
  10. board — to get on
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. rash — hasty
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. stock — goods
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. current — happening now
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. fine — all right
  20. row — to paddle
  21. prune — to trim
  22. board — a committee
  23. court — for sport
  24. stock — a soup base

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