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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: prune · pit · cell · scale · cue · patient · club · temple

  1. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. He was locked up in a ________________.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in biology
  2. cue — a hint
  3. club — for golf
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. scale — size or range
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. prune — to trim
  8. cue — for pool
  9. scale — in music
  10. club — for dancing
  11. cell — in a prison
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. pit — in a race
  14. cue — a signal
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. club — a group
  18. cell — a phone
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. pit — a hole
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. prune — to trim
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. prune — the fruit

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