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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: pitch · sharp · bound · temple · craft · prune · pit · root

  1. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. pit — in a race
  3. bound — certain
  4. sharp — clever
  5. bound — obliged
  6. pit — a hole
  7. root — the cause
  8. prune — to trim
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. bound — tied together
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. root — of a plant
  15. pitch — completely
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. root — of a word
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. craft — a skill
  23. prune — to trim
  24. prune — 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