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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.

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: pitch · chair · prune · temple · sharp · spell · key · foot

  1. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  2. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  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. chair — a professorship
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. spell — a short time
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. key — for a lock
  6. spell — letters
  7. prune — to trim
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. prune — to trim
  10. chair — to sit on
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. spell — magic
  14. chair — a leader
  15. key — in music
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. key — the most important part
  18. temple — side of the head
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. sharp — clever
  23. foot — a measure
  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