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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.

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: file · nail · pop · bore · stand · pound · mark · prune

  1. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  15. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. prune — to trim
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. pop — to visit
  6. prune — to trim
  7. file — a line of people
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. pop — music
  11. stand — to bear
  12. mark — a grade
  13. mark — a trace
  14. pound — for dogs
  15. pound — a weight
  16. file — a tool
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. pop — soda
  19. bore — to drill
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. bore — to tire
  24. file — a document

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