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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. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. When was this ________________ built?
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. Beijing is the ________________ of China.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. band — a ring
  3. craft — a skill
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. capital — a big letter
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. capital — money
  8. craft — boats
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. present — there
  12. present — a gift
  13. present — the time now
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. hand — help
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. band — a music group
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. hand — in cards
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. prune — to trim
  23. prune — to trim
  24. capital — a city

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