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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.

Make a worksheet

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: lie · court · fine · content · spell · prune · fork · drill

  1. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. drill — the tool
  3. court — of a king
  4. lie — to recline
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. spell — letters
  7. spell — magic
  8. fine — high quality
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. prune — to trim
  11. content — the amount
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. fine — all right
  14. drill — a practice
  15. spell — a short time
  16. content — happy
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. drill — army training
  19. fork — in a road
  20. court — for sport
  21. prune — to trim
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. content — videos and posts

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