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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 · march · dip · sharp · mark · trunk · board · bound

  1. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. march — music
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. bound — certain
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. bound — obliged
  7. mark — a grade
  8. march — the month
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. prune — to trim
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. board — a committee
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. bound — tied together
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. sharp — clever
  17. board — to get on
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. prune — to trim
  20. mark — a trace
  21. march — the month
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. dip — to sink

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