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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.

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: pop · temple · capital · prune · season · calf · present · stick

  1. Did you ________________ the meat?
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. pop — music
  3. capital — a city
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. capital — money
  7. prune — to trim
  8. pop — soda
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. present — a gift
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. pop — to visit
  14. prune — to trim
  15. season — of the year
  16. capital — a big letter
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. season — in sport
  20. present — the time now
  21. present — there
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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