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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: bowl · stand · prune · content · snap · safe · ball · nail

  1. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. ball — a dance
  3. snap — to click
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. content — the amount
  11. content — happy
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. prune — to trim
  18. prune — to trim
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. ball — a great time
  22. stand — to bear
  23. content — videos and posts
  24. stand — for spectators

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