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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: wave · ball · swing · fan · toast · bark · prune · content

  1. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  13. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  18. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  19. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. content — happy
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. ball — a great time
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. prune — to trim
  7. swing — in golf
  8. swing — to play on
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. bark — to shout
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. bark — of a tree
  13. toast — bread
  14. content — the amount
  15. toast — the most admired
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. toast — a drink to someone
  18. bark — a dog's sound
  19. swing — music
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. ball — a dance
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. fan — a supporter
  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