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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: board · snap · field · rock · prune · rule · fork · craft

  1. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  21. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  24. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. field — a subject
  5. craft — boats
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. rock — music
  8. craft — a skill
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. fork — in a road
  11. prune — to trim
  12. prune — to trim
  13. board — a committee
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. rule — a law
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. rock — a stone
  19. snap — to click
  20. rule — to rule out
  21. rule — government
  22. board — to get on
  23. field — farmland
  24. field — for sport

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