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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: bark · prune · fine · track · arm · temple · present · game

  1. My father caught me by the ________________.
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. When was this ________________ built?
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. track — to keep track
  3. game — wild animals
  4. game — a match
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. track — a path
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. prune — to trim
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. present — the time now
  12. present — there
  13. track — a song
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. fine — all right
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. present — a gift
  19. bark — to shout
  20. prune — to trim
  21. temple — side of the head
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  24. fine — high quality

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