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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: foot · date · dip · snap · key · field · temple · prune

  1. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  2. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. Have you settled on a ________________?
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. field — farmland
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. dip — to sink
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. field — for sport
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. field — a subject
  14. key — the most important part
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. key — in music
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. foot — a measure
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. snap — to click
  22. key — for a lock
  23. prune — to trim
  24. date — 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