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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 116 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: prune · board · fine · track · craft · saw · fork · clip

  1. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. track — to keep track
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. prune — to trim
  7. saw — the tool
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. clip — a video
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. board — to get on
  14. track — a song
  15. track — a path
  16. craft — boats
  17. saw — the tool
  18. fine — all right
  19. craft — a skill
  20. prune — to trim
  21. fine — high quality
  22. clip — for paper
  23. fork — in a road
  24. clip — to cut

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