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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. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. When was this ________________ built?
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. prune — to trim
  5. pitch — completely
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. lean — thin
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. prune — to trim
  11. craft — a skill
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. craft — boats
  15. scale — in music
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. bank — of a river
  20. lean — to bend
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. bank — for money
  23. scale — size or range
  24. lean — to rest against

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