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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 · bowl · temple · bear · racket · pit · craft · staff

  1. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. craft — a skill
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. staff — employees
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. pit — in a race
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. staff — employees
  10. staff — a stick
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. craft — boats
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. bear — the animal
  15. prune — to trim
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. bear — the animal
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. prune — to trim
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. pit — a hole

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