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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: hide · prune · last · board · stock · fine · wound · pound

  1. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. fine — all right
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. pound — a weight
  5. prune — to trim
  6. board — a committee
  7. stock — shares
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. last — final
  10. last — finally
  11. wound — an injury
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. prune — to trim
  14. pound — to hit hard
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. wound — an injury
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. board — to get on
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. wound — past of 'wind'
  22. last — to go on
  23. fine — high quality
  24. stock — goods

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