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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: temple · pass · wave · mark · bat · present · field · prune

  1. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  11. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  14. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. pass — a permit
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. prune — to trim
  5. mark — a trace
  6. present — the time now
  7. present — there
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. mark — a grade
  10. bat — for baseball
  11. field — farmland
  12. prune — to trim
  13. bat — in an idiom
  14. bat — the animal
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. field — a subject
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. field — for sport

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