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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: prune · bowl · date · scale · content · arm · wound · drill

  1. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. Have you settled on a ________________?
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. drill — army training
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. content — the amount
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. scale — in music
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. drill — a practice
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. drill — the tool
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. prune — to trim
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. scale — size or range
  20. wound — an injury
  21. wound — an injury
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. content — happy
  24. date — the fruit

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