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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 116 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: mate · prune · bulb · content · nail · spring · craft · ball

  1. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  19. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. ball — a great time
  3. bulb — for light
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. craft — a skill
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. spring — of water
  10. ball — a dance
  11. mate — a partner
  12. mate — to breed
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. content — the amount
  16. craft — boats
  17. content — happy
  18. spring — a coil
  19. content — videos and posts
  20. mate — a friend
  21. prune — to trim
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. prune — to trim
  24. bulb — for light

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