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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: pitcher · key · prune · wax · pit · temple · march · swing

  1. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  2. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. march — the month
  3. key — in music
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. prune — to trim
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. pit — a hole
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. march — music
  11. march — the month
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. prune — to trim
  15. wax — to grow
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. swing — to play on
  18. pit — in a race
  19. key — for a lock
  20. swing — music
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. swing — in golf
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. temple — side of the head

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