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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 116 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: prune · bound · bulb · wake · pound · bore

  1. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  18. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. prune — to trim
  4. bulb — for light
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. prune — to trim
  7. bore — to drill
  8. bound — obliged
  9. wake — a trail
  10. bulb — for light
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. bore — to tire
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. bound — certain
  16. bound — tied together
  17. pound — to hit hard
  18. pound — a weight

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