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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
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: prune · ball · content · coach · march · lie · bowl · pass

  1. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  24. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. lie — to recline
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. march — the month
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. march — the month
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. content — happy
  13. content — the amount
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. prune — to trim
  16. pass — a permit
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. ball — a dance
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. ball — a great time
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. march — music
  24. bowl — to roll

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