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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: content · prune · pit · pop · nail · court · can · season

  1. The ________________ went through the wall.
  2. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. pop — music
  5. season — in sport
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. pop — soda
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. court — for sport
  10. content — videos and posts
  11. season — of the year
  12. content — the amount
  13. prune — to trim
  14. can — a tin
  15. court — of law
  16. can — a tin
  17. pit — a hole
  18. court — of a king
  19. prune — to trim
  20. pop — to visit
  21. content — happy
  22. can — to be able to
  23. pit — in a race
  24. nail — for a hammer

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