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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 · pop · wind · stick · board · fan · trunk

  1. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  20. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. prune — to trim
  5. board — to get on
  6. pop — music
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. pound — a weight
  11. prune — to trim
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. pop — soda
  19. wind — moving air
  20. wind — moving air
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. pop — to visit
  23. wind — to turn a key
  24. board — a committee

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