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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: field · wake · kick · mark · content · toast · mug · prune

  1. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  8. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  12. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  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. kick — a thrill
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. content — the amount
  4. toast — a drink to someone
  5. mark — a grade
  6. prune — to trim
  7. toast — bread
  8. field — for sport
  9. content — happy
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. field — a subject
  12. toast — the most admired
  13. mug — a face
  14. kick — in football
  15. content — videos and posts
  16. mug — to rob
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. wake — a trail
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. mug — a cup
  22. mark — a trace
  23. field — farmland
  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