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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: prune · last · rush · board · stand · hand · ground · roll

  1. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. We're on a ________________ here.
  21. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. last — finally
  3. board — to get on
  4. ground — a position
  5. hand — in cards
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. hand — help
  8. roll — a list
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. prune — to trim
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. stand — to bear
  14. ground — crushed
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. last — final
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. ground — the earth
  20. roll — on a roll
  21. roll — a cake
  22. rush — hurry
  23. last — to go on
  24. prune — to trim

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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