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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: stand · court · calf · row · content · prune · jam · wake

  1. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. jam — to spread on bread
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. stand — to bear
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. jam — in traffic
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. court — of a king
  11. jam — a tight spot
  12. prune — to trim
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. row — a line
  16. row — to paddle
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. wake — a trail
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. court — of law
  21. content — happy
  22. court — for sport
  23. content — the amount
  24. prune — to trim

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