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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.

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: date · bark · drill · press · temple · field · prune · firm

  1. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  2. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. Have you settled on a ________________?
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. date — the fruit
  3. press — newspapers
  4. field — a subject
  5. press — a publisher
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. field — farmland
  8. firm — steady
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. field — for sport
  11. firm — decided
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. bark — to shout
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. press — to push
  18. drill — army training
  19. prune — to trim
  20. temple — side of the head
  21. drill — a practice
  22. drill — the tool
  23. firm — a company
  24. prune — to trim

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