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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: face · ball · pitch · dip · temple · branch · game · nail

  1. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. When was this ________________ built?
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. ball — a dance
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. game — wild animals
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. pitch — completely
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. temple — side of the head
  14. face — part of the head
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. face — to confront
  17. face — to point toward
  18. game — a match
  19. branch — a division
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. dip — to sink
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. ball — a great time

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