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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.

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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: row · season · bat · track · scale · board · toast · prune

  1. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. row — to paddle
  3. track — to keep track
  4. board — to get on
  5. track — a path
  6. season — in sport
  7. bat — the animal
  8. prune — to trim
  9. toast — the most admired
  10. scale — in music
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. bat — in an idiom
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. scale — size or range
  16. track — a song
  17. toast — bread
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. toast — a drink to someone
  20. board — a committee
  21. season — of the year
  22. bat — for baseball
  23. season — to add flavour
  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