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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: tube · row · straw · board · court · fine · ruler · prune

  1. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. row — a line
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. row — to paddle
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. tube — the underground
  8. board — to get on
  9. court — for sport
  10. tube — a container
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. fine — all right
  16. fine — high quality
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. prune — to trim
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. prune — to trim
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. board — a committee
  24. court — of a king

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