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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.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  13. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  17. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  18. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. degree — an amount
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. branch — a division
  12. degree — temperature
  13. wound — an injury
  14. wound — an injury
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. wound — past of 'wind'
  17. degree — from a university
  18. temple — side of the head

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