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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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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 · content · rock · board · deal · craft · wind · fork

  1. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  24. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. wind — to turn a key
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. content — the amount
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. board — a committee
  8. craft — a skill
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. fork — in a road
  14. deal — to handle
  15. craft — boats
  16. rock — music
  17. content — happy
  18. prune — to trim
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. prune — to trim
  21. wind — moving air
  22. rock — a stone
  23. content — videos and posts
  24. wind — moving air

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