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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: squash · row · prune · mug · chair · board · net · bay

  1. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. chair — a professorship
  3. net — in sport
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. board — a committee
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. row — a quarrel
  10. mug — to rob
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. mug — a face
  13. net — after costs
  14. prune — to trim
  15. mug — a cup
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. row — to paddle
  18. prune — to trim
  19. row — a line
  20. squash — to crush
  21. net — for catching
  22. chair — a leader
  23. board — to get on
  24. squash — the sport

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