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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: prune · ball · content · mark · bat · calf · rush · fine

  1. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  2. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  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. bat — the animal
  2. bat — in an idiom
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. mark — a trace
  6. prune — to trim
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. content — the amount
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. ball — a dance
  14. fine — all right
  15. fine — high quality
  16. content — videos and posts
  17. mark — a grade
  18. bat — for baseball
  19. ball — a great time
  20. rush — hurry
  21. content — happy
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. calf — a young animal
  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