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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: mate · fan · prune · board · cap · pound · nail · land

  1. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. land — a country
  2. mate — to breed
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. land — to come down
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. pound — a weight
  7. prune — to trim
  8. land — ground
  9. mate — a friend
  10. prune — to trim
  11. board — a committee
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. pound — for dogs
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. mate — a partner
  20. cap — of ice
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. board — to get on
  23. cap — a hat
  24. cap — a lid

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