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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: racket · land · temple · lie · bowl · date · trunk · prune

  1. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. Have you settled on a ________________?
  10. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. prune — to trim
  3. prune — to trim
  4. date — the fruit
  5. land — to come down
  6. land — ground
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. temple — side of the head
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. lie — to recline
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. land — a country
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. date — on the calendar

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