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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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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: pound · stock · land · fork · prune · dip · wave · rock

  1. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. land — ground
  4. rock — a stone
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. rock — music
  8. prune — to trim
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. dip — to sink
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. land — to come down
  16. pound — a weight
  17. stock — shares
  18. prune — to trim
  19. pound — to hit hard
  20. stock — goods
  21. land — a country
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. fork — in a road
  24. pound — for dogs

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