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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
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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 · pitcher · game · branch · leaves · kid

  1. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. When was this ________________ built?
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. kid — child
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. temple — side of the head
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. game — a match
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. kid — to tease
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. game — wild animals

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