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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: temple · mine · can · prune · pitch · bay · ruler · object

  1. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. When was this ________________ built?
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — an explosive
  2. can — to be able to
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. prune — to trim
  6. can — a tin
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. object — to protest
  11. object — a thing
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. object — an aim
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. can — a tin
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. mine — for digging
  22. pitch — completely
  23. prune — to trim
  24. temple — a place of worship

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