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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: key · wound · mine · can · prune · safe · content · court

  1. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  9. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. key — for a lock
  3. wound — an injury
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. prune — to trim
  8. content — happy
  9. content — the amount
  10. can — a tin
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. court — for sport
  14. can — a tin
  15. wound — an injury
  16. can — to be able to
  17. prune — to trim
  18. court — of law
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. key — in music
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. mine — for digging
  23. court — of a king
  24. key — the most important part

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