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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: coach · content · suit · bass · prune · fork · spell · shower

  1. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  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. fork — to eat with
  2. fork — in a road
  3. bass — the fish
  4. bass — low music
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. shower — rain
  8. spell — a short time
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. suit — to fit
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. suit — clothes
  15. prune — to trim
  16. spell — letters
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. content — the amount
  19. shower — to wash
  20. content — happy
  21. spell — magic
  22. suit — in cards
  23. coach — a trainer
  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