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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: bay · object · sharp · prune · net · bass · row · temple

  1. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. When was this ________________ built?
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. prune — to trim
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. row — to paddle
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. prune — to trim
  7. net — after costs
  8. bass — low music
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. object — to protest
  13. net — in sport
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. bass — the fish
  16. row — a line
  17. object — an aim
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. net — for catching
  20. sharp — clever
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  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