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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: ground · dip · row · charge · tear · board · prune · squash

  1. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  9. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. charge — a price
  3. row — to paddle
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. prune — to trim
  6. ground — a position
  7. dip — to sink
  8. tear — to rip
  9. row — a quarrel
  10. ground — crushed
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. board — to get on
  14. board — a committee
  15. prune — to trim
  16. squash — to crush
  17. tear — from crying
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. charge — in control
  20. charge — electricity
  21. tear — from crying
  22. squash — the sport
  23. ground — the earth
  24. row — a line

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