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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: mate · temple · racket · present · club · prune · pitch · safe

  1. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. When was this ________________ built?

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. club — a group
  5. mate — a friend
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. mate — to breed
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. present — a gift
  13. pitch — completely
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. prune — to trim
  16. present — there
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. present — the time now
  20. club — for golf
  21. club — for dancing
  22. mate — a partner
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. temple — a place of worship

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