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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
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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: board · spring · net · temple · pit · prune · pitcher · bowl

  1. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. When was this ________________ built?

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

Answer key

  1. spring — of water
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. prune — to trim
  4. spring — a coil
  5. pit — a hole
  6. net — after costs
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. net — in sport
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. spring — the season
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. board — a committee
  16. prune — to trim
  17. net — for catching
  18. pit — in a race
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. temple — side of the head
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. board — to get on
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. temple — a place of worship

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