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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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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 · rest · pitcher · wake · march · bear · prune · temple

  1. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  18. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  19. When was this ________________ built?
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. rest — a break
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. rest — what's left
  6. march — the month
  7. prune — to trim
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. temple — side of the head
  11. march — music
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. rest — what's left
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. bear — the animal
  17. march — the month
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. wake — a trail
  21. present — the time now
  22. bear — the animal
  23. prune — to trim
  24. present — a gift

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