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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: board · field · kick · present · prune · net · hand · trunk

  1. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. board — a committee
  5. kick — in football
  6. net — for catching
  7. field — farmland
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. board — to get on
  10. prune — to trim
  11. field — for sport
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. hand — in cards
  16. present — there
  17. net — after costs
  18. hand — help
  19. field — a subject
  20. prune — to trim
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. present — the time now
  23. present — a gift
  24. net — in sport

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