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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: kid · temple · pass · key · stand · stem · prune · pitch

  1. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — side of the head
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. pitch — completely
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. stand — to bear
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. prune — to trim
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. prune — to trim
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  13. stem — to come from
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. kid — child
  16. key — for a lock
  17. key — in music
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. key — the most important part
  22. pass — a permit
  23. kid — to tease
  24. pass — to spend time

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