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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
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: snap · mouse · content · land · season · prune · tube · date

  1. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. Have you settled on a ________________?
  16. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. season — in sport
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. land — a country
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. season — of the year
  11. prune — to trim
  12. tube — the underground
  13. content — the amount
  14. land — to come down
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. date — the fruit
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. content — happy
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. snap — to click
  21. tube — a container
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. land — ground
  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