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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 120 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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. pitch — completely
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. spring — of water
  7. bank — for money
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. fine — all right
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. bank — of a river
  12. prune — to trim
  13. spring — a coil
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. spring — the season
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. bank — for money
  18. fine — high quality

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