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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.

Make a worksheet

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: pitcher · prune · rest · wake · temple · safe · stock · bat

  1. When was this ________________ built?
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. rest — a break
  5. prune — to trim
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. rest — what's left
  8. wake — a trail
  9. bat — for baseball
  10. rest — what's left
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. bat — the animal
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. bat — in an idiom
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. stock — goods
  21. prune — to trim
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. stock — shares
  24. prune — the fruit

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