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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: current · prune · bound · hide · pitch · temple · dip · mouse

  1. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. When was this ________________ built?
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. current — of water
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. prune — to trim
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. current — happening now
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. bound — tied together
  15. bound — obliged
  16. prune — to trim
  17. dip — to sink
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. current — electric
  21. pitch — completely
  22. bound — certain
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. pitch — a sports field

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