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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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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: pound · cap · safe · file · chair · prune · fork · wind

  1. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  2. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  12. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  13. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  16. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  21. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — in a road
  2. wind — moving air
  3. cap — a lid
  4. cap — of ice
  5. chair — a leader
  6. prune — to trim
  7. pound — to hit hard
  8. file — a line of people
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. prune — to trim
  11. pound — for dogs
  12. chair — to sit on
  13. wind — moving air
  14. cap — a hat
  15. file — a tool
  16. pound — a weight
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. chair — a professorship
  21. wind — to turn a key
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. file — a document
  24. fork — a garden tool

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