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

Word bank: prune · kid · racket · fork · pitch · vault · temple · rock

  1. When was this ________________ built?
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  18. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. prune — to trim
  4. prune — to trim
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. rock — music
  7. pitch — completely
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. kid — to tease
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. fork — in a road
  16. vault — a safe
  17. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  18. kid — child
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. rock — a stone
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. prune — the fruit

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