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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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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 · stick · fork · swing · pass · wind · pound · bound

  1. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  23. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to spend time
  2. bound — tied together
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. swing — to play on
  5. fork — in a road
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. wind — moving air
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. swing — music
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. prune — to trim
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. wind — moving air
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. swing — in golf
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. bound — certain
  19. bound — obliged
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. prune — to trim
  22. pound — a weight
  23. wind — to turn a key
  24. pass — a permit

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