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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: prune · mark · pound · spell · chair · bat · temple · suit

  1. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — for baseball
  2. suit — to fit
  3. bat — the animal
  4. spell — magic
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. mark — a grade
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. prune — to trim
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. chair — to sit on
  12. pound — a weight
  13. spell — a short time
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. mark — a trace
  18. prune — to trim
  19. chair — a leader
  20. chair — a professorship
  21. suit — clothes
  22. suit — in cards
  23. spell — letters
  24. bat — in an idiom

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