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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: ball · prune · cap · patient · arm · can · bulb · content

  1. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  21. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. My father caught me by the ________________.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. bulb — for light
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. cap — a hat
  6. content — happy
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. prune — to trim
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. cap — of ice
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. ball — a dance
  13. ball — a great time
  14. cap — a lid
  15. can — a tin
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. can — to be able to
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. bulb — for light
  20. content — the amount
  21. content — videos and posts
  22. can — a tin
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. bulb — of a plant

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