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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: date · prune · squash · track · content · mark · rush · bowl

  1. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. Have you settled on a ________________?
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. squash — to crush
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. mark — a grade
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. date — the fruit
  9. mark — a trace
  10. track — a song
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. rush — hurry
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. content — the amount
  16. content — happy
  17. track — a path
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. track — to keep track
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. prune — to trim
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. squash — the sport

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