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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: object · pitch · fine · temple · roll · prune · drill · band

  1. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. We're on a ________________ here.
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. When was this ________________ built?
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. roll — a cake
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. fine — all right
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. band — a ring
  8. band — a music group
  9. band — a rubber band
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. drill — the tool
  12. pitch — completely
  13. drill — a practice
  14. roll — a list
  15. prune — to trim
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. fine — high quality
  18. object — a thing
  19. roll — on a roll
  20. drill — army training
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. object — to protest
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. prune — to trim

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