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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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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: rock · content · kick · board · prune · last · ground · wound

  1. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  4. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. wound — an injury
  4. content — videos and posts
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. prune — to trim
  7. last — to go on
  8. ground — a position
  9. content — the amount
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. ground — crushed
  13. rock — music
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. ground — the earth
  16. content — happy
  17. rock — a stone
  18. prune — to trim
  19. last — finally
  20. board — a committee
  21. board — to get on
  22. kick — in football
  23. last — final
  24. wound — an injury

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