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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: pound · bark · branch · pit · board · prune · bulb · deal

  1. The light ________________ burned out.
  2. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. bark — of a tree
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. branch — a division
  7. pound — a weight
  8. board — to get on
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. bulb — for light
  11. board — a committee
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. pit — a hole
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. prune — to trim
  19. prune — to trim
  20. pound — for dogs
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. pit — in a race
  23. bark — to shout
  24. deal — to handle

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