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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. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. We're on a ________________ here.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. When was this ________________ built?

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. suit — in cards
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. roll — a list
  6. bass — the fish
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. drill — a practice
  10. prune — to trim
  11. drill — army training
  12. roll — a cake
  13. hand — help
  14. drill — the tool
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. board — a committee
  17. bass — low music
  18. board — to get on
  19. hand — in cards
  20. prune — to trim
  21. suit — to fit
  22. roll — on a roll
  23. suit — clothes
  24. temple — a place of worship

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