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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 116 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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: prune · row · drill · content · pit · club · wave · mouse

  1. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. row — to paddle
  4. content — videos and posts
  5. club — for golf
  6. drill — army training
  7. drill — a practice
  8. prune — to trim
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. club — a group
  11. prune — to trim
  12. pit — a hole
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. content — happy
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. row — a line
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. drill — the tool
  23. content — the amount
  24. club — for dancing

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