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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: wake · stand · pit · prune · content · mark · craft · squash

  1. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  2. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the sport
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. mark — a trace
  7. pit — in a race
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. prune — to trim
  10. squash — to crush
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. stand — to bear
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. pit — a hole
  16. wake — a trail
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. craft — boats
  19. craft — a skill
  20. mark — a grade
  21. content — the amount
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. prune — to trim
  24. content — happy

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