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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: cold · suit · leaves · bark · prune · pitch · coach · temple

  1. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  2. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  18. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. The water is too ________________.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — the Cold War
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. prune — to trim
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. suit — in cards
  10. pitch — completely
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. prune — to trim
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. cold — an illness
  18. bark — to shout
  19. suit — to fit
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. cold — not warm
  23. suit — clothes
  24. leaves — to go away

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