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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.

Make a worksheet

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: temple · mine · pitcher · squash · board · prune · rock · stick

  1. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  2. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. mine — for digging
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. board — to get on
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. prune — to trim
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. prune — to trim
  13. squash — the sport
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. board — a committee
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. mine — belonging to me
  20. rock — music
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. rock — a stone
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. squash — to crush

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