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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.

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: content · craft · can · mine · prune · fine · pit · ball

  1. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. can — to be able to
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. craft — boats
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. ball — a great time
  7. content — the amount
  8. mine — for digging
  9. content — happy
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. prune — to trim
  13. pit — in a race
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. content — videos and posts
  17. prune — to trim
  18. pit — a hole
  19. fine — high quality
  20. craft — a skill
  21. can — a tin
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. ball — a dance
  24. can — a tin

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