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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: race · pit · bass · temple · wax · bark · prune · can

  1. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. When was this ________________ built?
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. can — to be able to
  3. prune — to trim
  4. prune — to trim
  5. pit — a hole
  6. can — a tin
  7. bass — low music
  8. pit — in a race
  9. can — a tin
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. race — humankind
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. race — a contest
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. bark — to shout
  20. race — the arms race
  21. wax — to grow
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. bass — the fish

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