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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 120 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 · saw · rule · prune · calf · court · mine · file

  1. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  12. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  13. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  14. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. content — the amount
  4. saw — the tool
  5. prune — to trim
  6. court — of law
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. saw — the tool
  11. file — a line of people
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. court — of a king
  14. content — videos and posts
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. file — a tool
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. content — happy
  19. mine — for digging
  20. rule — a law
  21. court — for sport
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. prune — to trim
  24. rule — government

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