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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.

Make a worksheet

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: game · fine · content · prune · leaves · pitcher · sharp · net

  1. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  22. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. fine — high quality
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. game — wild animals
  7. net — for catching
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. prune — to trim
  13. content — happy
  14. prune — to trim
  15. net — in sport
  16. net — after costs
  17. fine — all right
  18. sharp — clever
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. game — a match
  21. content — videos and posts
  22. content — the amount
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. sharp — with an edge

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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