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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: degree · suit · wound · prune · band · fine · content · present

  1. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  15. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  20. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  21. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. present — a gift
  5. content — happy
  6. suit — to fit
  7. fine — high quality
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. band — a music group
  10. degree — from a university
  11. band — a ring
  12. prune — to trim
  13. suit — clothes
  14. degree — an amount
  15. degree — temperature
  16. fine — all right
  17. prune — to trim
  18. wound — an injury
  19. content — the amount
  20. wound — an injury
  21. wound — past of 'wind'
  22. present — there
  23. present — the time now
  24. suit — in cards

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