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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: key · fork · prune · lie · object · content · bowl · last

  1. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  2. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. last — finally
  3. prune — to trim
  4. prune — to trim
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. last — to go on
  7. content — happy
  8. fork — in a road
  9. object — a thing
  10. lie — to recline
  11. key — in music
  12. last — final
  13. object — an aim
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. content — the amount
  16. key — for a lock
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. content — videos and posts
  21. object — to protest
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. key — the most important part
  24. prune — the fruit

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