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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: present · vault · prune · game · pass · wake · pitcher · rock

  1. He is an ace ________________.
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. rock — music
  4. game — wild animals
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. game — a match
  8. rock — a stone
  9. present — a gift
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. pass — a permit
  12. vault — a safe
  13. prune — to trim
  14. present — the time now
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. wake — a trail
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. present — there
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. prune — to trim
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. rock — to move gently

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