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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.

Make a worksheet

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: bulb · prune · content · season · fork · trunk · capital · fine

  1. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. fork — to eat with
  3. fine — all right
  4. season — of the year
  5. fork — in a road
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. bulb — for light
  9. capital — a city
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. prune — to trim
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. content — the amount
  14. fine — high quality
  15. season — in sport
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. capital — money
  18. content — happy
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. content — videos and posts
  22. bulb — for light
  23. prune — to trim
  24. capital — a big letter

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