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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: board · row · pop · wake · season · prune · ruler · firm

  1. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. pop — soda
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. board — to get on
  6. firm — decided
  7. prune — to trim
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. season — of the year
  10. pop — to visit
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. prune — to trim
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. board — a committee
  16. wake — a trail
  17. firm — a company
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. pop — music
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. season — in sport
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. firm — steady
  24. row — to paddle

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