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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: racket · wound · deal · saw · bear · nail · board · prune

  1. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. saw — the tool
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. prune — to trim
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. board — to get on
  9. board — a committee
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. wound — an injury
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. saw — the tool
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. wound — an injury
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. deal — to handle
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. bear — the animal
  24. bear — the animal

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