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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

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

Answer key

  1. content — the amount
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. field — farmland
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. can — a tin
  10. can — to be able to
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. prune — to trim
  13. stem — to come from
  14. field — for sport
  15. fork — in a road
  16. field — a subject
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. content — happy
  22. can — a tin
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. prune — to trim

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