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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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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: bark · court · pound · board · perch · prune · stand · rock

  1. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. pound — for dogs
  5. court — of a king
  6. prune — to trim
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. stand — to bear
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. bark — to shout
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. court — for sport
  13. rock — music
  14. prune — to trim
  15. rock — a stone
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. bark — of a tree
  18. court — of law
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. board — a committee
  21. perch — the fish
  22. bark — a dog's sound
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. pound — a weight

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