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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 · court · pound · fine · calf · staff · content · pass

  1. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  24. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. court — for sport
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. prune — to trim
  6. content — the amount
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. prune — to trim
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. court — of a king
  11. content — happy
  12. content — videos and posts
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. pound — a weight
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. court — of law
  18. staff — employees
  19. staff — a stick
  20. pass — a permit
  21. pound — for dogs
  22. fine — all right
  23. pound — to hit hard
  24. staff — employees

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