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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 120 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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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 · pitch · present · bowl · deal · vault · fork · branch

  1. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — in gymnastics
  2. vault — a safe
  3. deal — to handle
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. present — there
  10. present — the time now
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. pitch — completely
  14. fork — in a road
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. branch — a division
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. present — a gift
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. vault — an arched ceiling

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