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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.

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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: fall · pound · can · prune · board · bound · ground · fine

  1. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  23. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — crushed
  2. ground — the earth
  3. fine — all right
  4. board — to get on
  5. fall — the season
  6. can — a tin
  7. pound — a weight
  8. bound — obliged
  9. prune — to trim
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. bound — certain
  12. ground — a position
  13. can — to be able to
  14. can — a tin
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. board — a committee
  17. bound — tied together
  18. prune — to trim
  19. fine — high quality
  20. fall — to drop
  21. fall — to drop
  22. pound — to hit hard
  23. pound — for dogs
  24. board — a flat piece

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