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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: row · prune · toast · net · rule · rest · track · chair

  1. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  9. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  10. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  16. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. rule — government
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. track — to keep track
  5. net — for catching
  6. toast — the most admired
  7. prune — to trim
  8. row — a line
  9. row — a quarrel
  10. toast — a drink to someone
  11. rule — a law
  12. track — a path
  13. rest — what's left
  14. track — a song
  15. chair — to sit on
  16. row — to paddle
  17. net — after costs
  18. net — in sport
  19. rest — a break
  20. chair — a leader
  21. rest — what's left
  22. toast — bread
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. rule — to rule out

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