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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 120 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. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. The water is too ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. content — the amount
  5. content — happy
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. cold — the Cold War
  9. present — a gift
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. present — there
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. cold — an illness
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. present — the time now
  19. content — videos and posts
  20. prune — to trim
  21. ball — a great time
  22. ball — a dance
  23. prune — to trim
  24. cold — not warm

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