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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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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. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. prune — to trim
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. swing — music
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. swing — in golf
  7. can — to be able to
  8. pit — in a race
  9. can — a tin
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. prune — to trim
  12. content — videos and posts
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. board — to get on
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. content — the amount
  19. content — happy
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. swing — to play on
  22. can — a tin
  23. board — a committee
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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