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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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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: pass · board · prune · temple · staff · kid · ground · pitch

  1. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  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. prune — the fruit
  3. pitch — completely
  4. prune — to trim
  5. kid — to tease
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. ground — the earth
  9. ground — crushed
  10. board — a committee
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. kid — child
  14. board — to get on
  15. staff — a stick
  16. ground — a position
  17. staff — employees
  18. pass — a permit
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. prune — to trim
  21. staff — employees
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  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