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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: club · prune · fork · bore · wound · bark · bank · board

  1. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. fork — in a road
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. bank — for money
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. club — for dancing
  8. wound — an injury
  9. wound — past of 'wind'
  10. board — a committee
  11. club — a group
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. bank — of a river
  15. bore — to tire
  16. prune — to trim
  17. wound — an injury
  18. bark — of a tree
  19. club — for golf
  20. bark — to shout
  21. board — to get on
  22. bark — a dog's sound
  23. bank — for money
  24. bore — to drill

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