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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: wound · bear · content · prune · suit · game · fine · ball

  1. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. wound — an injury
  4. suit — clothes
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. ball — a great time
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. content — the amount
  10. ball — a dance
  11. suit — to fit
  12. content — happy
  13. game — wild animals
  14. wound — an injury
  15. fine — all right
  16. bear — the animal
  17. game — a match
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. wound — past of 'wind'
  20. prune — to trim
  21. bear — the animal
  22. fine — high quality
  23. bear — to put up with
  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