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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: pound · bank · fork · bore · board · wake · file · plane

  1. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. file — a tool
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. wake — a trail
  5. board — a committee
  6. bank — for money
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. fork — in a road
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. file — a line of people
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. file — a document
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. bore — to tire
  18. bank — of a river
  19. board — to get on
  20. bank — for money
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. bore — to drill
  23. plane — a tool
  24. fork — a garden tool

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