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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: mark · pound · prune · rest · calf · bass · file · craft

  1. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. prune — to trim
  3. prune — to trim
  4. file — a line of people
  5. bass — low music
  6. file — a tool
  7. pound — a weight
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. mark — a grade
  10. rest — a break
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. craft — a skill
  14. mark — a trace
  15. rest — what's left
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. file — a document
  18. bass — the fish
  19. craft — boats
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. rest — what's left
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. prune — the fruit

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