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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
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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 · rock · spring · object · prune · ruler · pitcher · net

  1. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. When was this ________________ built?

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. net — in sport
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. prune — to trim
  8. object — to protest
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. spring — a coil
  12. net — after costs
  13. net — for catching
  14. rock — a stone
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. spring — the season
  17. spring — of water
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. rock — music
  20. object — an aim
  21. prune — to trim
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. object — a thing
  24. temple — a place of worship

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