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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: prune · race · ruler · rush · board · pop · lash · ball

  1. That must've been a ________________.
  2. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. race — a contest
  3. prune — to trim
  4. pop — soda
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. board — a committee
  7. pop — to visit
  8. prune — to trim
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. ball — a great time
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. ball — a dance
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. board — to get on
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. race — humankind
  20. rush — hurry
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. pop — music
  24. race — the arms race

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