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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: rock · ball · capital · content · saw · stem · bound · prune

  1. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  15. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  16. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. rock — a stone
  3. rock — music
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. capital — a city
  6. saw — the tool
  7. bound — tied together
  8. bound — obliged
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. bound — certain
  11. content — happy
  12. content — the amount
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. content — videos and posts
  15. capital — a big letter
  16. capital — money
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. prune — to trim
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. ball — a dance
  22. stem — to come from
  23. ball — a great time
  24. prune — to trim

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