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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 120 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: pop · prune · stem · fork · board · leaves · content · wound

  1. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. board — to get on
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. wound — an injury
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. board — a committee
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. pop — to visit
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. fork — in a road
  17. wound — an injury
  18. pop — soda
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. content — the amount
  21. prune — to trim
  22. stem — to come from
  23. prune — to trim
  24. content — happy

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