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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: prune · temple · mouse · pitcher · mark · coach · bay · chest

  1. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. When was this ________________ built?

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. mark — a grade
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. chest — a box
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. prune — to trim
  10. prune — to trim
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. chest — of your body
  16. mark — a trace
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. temple — side of the head
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. chest — of your body
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. mouse — the animal
  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