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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.

Words on the sheet
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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 · wax · pound · root · saw · board · bowl · can

  1. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. can — a tin
  3. prune — to trim
  4. board — a committee
  5. saw — the tool
  6. root — the cause
  7. prune — to trim
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. root — of a word
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. board — to get on
  14. saw — the tool
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. pound — a weight
  20. can — a tin
  21. can — to be able to
  22. root — of a plant
  23. wax — to grow
  24. board — a flat piece

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