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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: prune · can · patient · capital · racket · craft · temple · roll

  1. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  2. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  8. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. We're on a ________________ here.
  13. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. capital — a big letter
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. prune — to trim
  7. temple — side of the head
  8. capital — money
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. roll — on a roll
  13. roll — a list
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. craft — a skill
  17. capital — a city
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. craft — boats
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. can — to be able to
  22. roll — a cake
  23. can — a tin
  24. can — a tin

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