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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 120 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: prune · pound · drill · board · stick · fork

  1. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  2. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. prune — to trim
  3. drill — a practice
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. pound — a weight
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. board — a committee
  11. fork — in a road
  12. pound — to hit hard
  13. drill — the tool
  14. board — to get on
  15. drill — army training
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. prune — to trim

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