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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: fine · prune · cue · lean · firm · fork · temple · content

  1. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  2. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  23. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  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. content — happy
  2. fork — to eat with
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. lean — to bend
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. firm — steady
  7. prune — to trim
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. cue — for pool
  11. fine — all right
  12. cue — a signal
  13. fine — high quality
  14. firm — decided
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. fork — in a road
  17. prune — to trim
  18. firm — a company
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. cue — a hint
  21. lean — thin
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. content — the amount
  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