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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: nail · prune · board · present · row · rest · fine · foot

  1. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. present — the time now
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. row — a line
  7. prune — to trim
  8. rest — a break
  9. prune — to trim
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. row — to paddle
  13. rest — what's left
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. fine — all right
  17. rest — what's left
  18. board — a committee
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. present — there
  21. foot — a measure
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. board — to get on
  24. fine — high quality

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