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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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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 · last · content · craft · field · pound · suit · safe

  1. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. False peace will not ________________.
  3. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. Is it ________________ for us to be here?

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. last — to go on
  3. field — a subject
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. field — farmland
  6. content — the amount
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. content — happy
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. last — final
  11. content — videos and posts
  12. suit — to fit
  13. prune — to trim
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. pound — a weight
  16. suit — in cards
  17. last — finally
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. suit — clothes
  20. field — for sport
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. prune — to trim
  23. craft — boats
  24. safe — out of danger

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