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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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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: track · racket · prune · temple · pound · rock · capital · deal

  1. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. rock — a stone
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. capital — a city
  7. track — a path
  8. pound — a weight
  9. track — to keep track
  10. temple — side of the head
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. pound — to hit hard
  13. rock — music
  14. track — a song
  15. deal — to handle
  16. capital — money
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. prune — to trim
  23. prune — to trim
  24. capital — a big letter

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