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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: prune · bound · bulb · wake · pound · bore · rock · track

  1. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. pound — a weight
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. prune — to trim
  7. wake — a trail
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. prune — to trim
  10. bound — obliged
  11. bulb — for light
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. bulb — for light
  14. track — a song
  15. bound — tied together
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. track — a path
  19. track — to keep track
  20. rock — music
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. bound — certain
  23. bore — to drill
  24. rock — a stone

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