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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: bore · fork · bowl · board · root · file · prune · bank

  1. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a tool
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. prune — to trim
  6. bore — to tire
  7. bank — for money
  8. file — a line of people
  9. prune — to trim
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. board — a committee
  13. bank — for money
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. fork — in a road
  16. root — of a word
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. root — the cause
  19. root — of a plant
  20. file — a document
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. board — to get on
  23. bore — to drill
  24. bank — of a river

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