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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: content · toast · prune · bark · temple · stem · racket · dip

  1. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  7. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. Check the label for the sugar ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. content — happy
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. toast — a drink to someone
  5. prune — to trim
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. temple — side of the head
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. stem — to come from
  13. toast — bread
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. prune — to trim
  19. toast — the most admired
  20. dip — to sink
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. content — the amount

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