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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: prune · track · temple · face · pitch · deal · charge · spell

  1. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. track — to keep track
  3. spell — magic
  4. spell — letters
  5. track — a song
  6. prune — to trim
  7. charge — a price
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. charge — in control
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. charge — electricity
  15. pitch — completely
  16. face — part of the head
  17. track — a path
  18. face — to point toward
  19. face — to confront
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. temple — side of the head
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. deal — to handle
  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