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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: last · temple · pitch · prune · kid · firm · dip · scale

  1. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  2. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  7. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. False peace will not ________________.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. At ________________, we arrived at the village.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — child
  2. prune — to trim
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. dip — to sink
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  7. temple — side of the head
  8. pitch — completely
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. scale — size or range
  12. kid — to tease
  13. last — final
  14. firm — decided
  15. prune — to trim
  16. scale — in music
  17. firm — a company
  18. firm — steady
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. last — to go on
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. last — finally

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