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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: rock · prune · mate · row · ground · bound · ball · stem

  1. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. prune — to trim
  4. stem — to come from
  5. ball — a great time
  6. bound — certain
  7. bound — obliged
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. prune — to trim
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. mate — to breed
  13. mate — a partner
  14. ground — a position
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. ball — a dance
  17. rock — music
  18. ground — crushed
  19. rock — a stone
  20. ground — the earth
  21. mate — a friend
  22. row — a line
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. bound — tied together

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