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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: board · cue · row · rock · mark · content · race · prune

  1. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  2. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  14. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. race — humankind
  2. content — the amount
  3. content — happy
  4. row — to paddle
  5. rock — a stone
  6. mark — a grade
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. board — a committee
  9. cue — a hint
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. row — a line
  12. prune — to trim
  13. race — the arms race
  14. content — videos and posts
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. prune — to trim
  17. cue — a signal
  18. race — a contest
  19. mark — a trace
  20. rock — music
  21. cue — for pool
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. board — to get on
  24. rock — to move gently

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