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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

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

Word bank: rock · temple · game · squash · tube · club · prune · date

  1. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. Have you settled on a ________________?
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  23. When was this ________________ built?
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. tube — the underground
  5. club — a group
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. squash — the sport
  8. game — a match
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. prune — to trim
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. club — for golf
  13. squash — to crush
  14. game — wild animals
  15. tube — a container
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. club — for dancing
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. rock — music
  21. rock — a stone
  22. date — the fruit
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. prune — to trim

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