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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: file · ground · row · racket · bound · bulb · roll · prune

  1. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  5. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. We're on a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. prune — to trim
  3. bound — certain
  4. roll — a cake
  5. file — a line of people
  6. bulb — for light
  7. prune — to trim
  8. bulb — for light
  9. row — a line
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. roll — a list
  12. ground — a position
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. file — a document
  15. ground — the earth
  16. row — to paddle
  17. file — a tool
  18. bound — obliged
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. ground — crushed
  23. bound — tied together
  24. roll — on a roll

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