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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
468
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: craft · rule · perch · bound · temple · prune · track · bass

  1. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  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. track — to keep track
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. bass — the fish
  6. bass — low music
  7. track — a song
  8. craft — boats
  9. prune — to trim
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. rule — government
  13. bound — obliged
  14. track — a path
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. perch — the fish
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. craft — a skill
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. rule — a law
  21. bound — tied together
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. bound — certain
  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