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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: roll · bat · temple · prune · mouse · bowl · date · present

  1. When was this ________________ built?
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. We're on a ________________ here.
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. Have you settled on a ________________?
  20. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  24. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. present — the time now
  3. prune — to trim
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. roll — a list
  6. present — a gift
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. roll — a cake
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. bat — in an idiom
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. roll — on a roll
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. prune — to trim
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. date — the fruit
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. present — there
  23. bat — the animal
  24. bat — for baseball

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