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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: bulb · content · prune · racket · rock · wound · hide · fork

  1. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  2. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. content — the amount
  3. bulb — for light
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. rock — a stone
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. wound — an injury
  10. bulb — for light
  11. fork — in a road
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. prune — to trim
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. wound — an injury
  16. wound — past of 'wind'
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. content — happy
  20. rock — music
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. content — videos and posts
  24. hide — animal skin

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