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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: rule · content · deal · can · temple · cap · prune · net

  1. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  2. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. When was this ________________ built?
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. can — a tin
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. net — for catching
  6. can — a tin
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. net — in sport
  10. deal — to handle
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. cap — a lid
  13. temple — side of the head
  14. rule — government
  15. content — the amount
  16. content — happy
  17. cap — of ice
  18. cap — a hat
  19. net — after costs
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. rule — a law
  22. prune — to trim
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. can — to be able to

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