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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: bank · can · dip · chest · prune · pitch · net · temple

  1. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  2. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. When was this ________________ built?
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. net — after costs
  3. can — a tin
  4. pitch — completely
  5. dip — to sink
  6. net — in sport
  7. bank — for money
  8. chest — of your body
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. prune — to trim
  11. can — to be able to
  12. bank — of a river
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. chest — a box
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. net — for catching
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. prune — to trim
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. bank — for money
  24. can — a tin

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