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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: content · hide · present · prune · bowl · rush · pitcher · kid

  1. That must've been a ________________.
  2. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. content — happy
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. content — the amount
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. present — there
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. present — the time now
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. rush — hurry
  15. kid — child
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. kid — to tease
  19. present — a gift
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. prune — to trim
  22. prune — to trim
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. rush — to hurry

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