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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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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 · wave · game · rock · perch · board · fork · trunk

  1. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  24. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — a garden tool
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. rock — music
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. game — wild animals
  7. rock — a stone
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. fork — in a road
  11. pound — a weight
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. board — a committee
  17. perch — the fish
  18. game — a match
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. board — to get on
  22. pound — for dogs
  23. pound — to hit hard
  24. perch — for a bird

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