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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: prune · ruler · board · wave · game · leaves · toast · perch

  1. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. toast — bread
  4. game — wild animals
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. prune — to trim
  7. board — to get on
  8. toast — the most admired
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. board — a committee
  14. game — a match
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. toast — a drink to someone
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. prune — to trim
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. perch — the fish

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