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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: prune · vault · content · season · net · stick · mark · bulb

  1. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. bulb — for light
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. prune — to trim
  8. content — happy
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. season — of the year
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. net — after costs
  15. content — the amount
  16. mark — a trace
  17. bulb — for light
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. net — in sport
  20. net — for catching
  21. vault — a safe
  22. mark — a grade
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. season — in sport

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