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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: bowl · temple · branch · mouse · wax · pitch

  1. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. When was this ________________ built?
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a dish
  2. branch — a division
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. pitch — completely
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. wax — to grow
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. wax — in the ear

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