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

Word bank: prune · root · rule · temple · present · face · deal · pitch

  1. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. When was this ________________ built?
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. root — of a word
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. prune — to trim
  8. deal — to handle
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. rule — to rule out
  11. face — to point toward
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. rule — government
  14. face — part of the head
  15. root — of a plant
  16. root — the cause
  17. prune — to trim
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. present — the time now
  20. face — to confront
  21. rule — a law
  22. present — a gift
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. pitch — completely

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