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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: temple · band · toast · prune · racket · pop · pit · firm

  1. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  24. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. pit — a hole
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. prune — to trim
  5. band — a ring
  6. pop — to visit
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. prune — to trim
  9. pop — soda
  10. pit — in a race
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. toast — a drink to someone
  13. firm — decided
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. toast — bread
  18. band — a music group
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. firm — steady
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. firm — a company
  23. temple — side of the head
  24. toast — the most admired

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