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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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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: net · prune · lash · pound · board · racket · squash · rule

  1. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. pound — to hit hard
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. pound — a weight
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. board — a committee
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. net — for catching
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. prune — to trim
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. rule — government
  14. net — in sport
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. rule — a law
  18. squash — to crush
  19. net — after costs
  20. rule — to rule out
  21. prune — to trim
  22. board — to get on
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. squash — the sport

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