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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 124 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: press · prune · board · swing · row · rule · last · land

  1. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  2. When are we going to ________________?
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  19. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  20. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — a law
  2. land — to come down
  3. press — newspapers
  4. prune — to trim
  5. row — to paddle
  6. prune — to trim
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. last — finally
  10. land — ground
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. board — a committee
  13. last — to go on
  14. board — to get on
  15. swing — to play on
  16. row — a line
  17. swing — in golf
  18. last — final
  19. swing — music
  20. rule — government
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. press — to push
  23. press — a publisher
  24. land — a country

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