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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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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: pound · trunk · rule · temple · track · pit · foot · branch

  1. When was this ________________ built?
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. track — to keep track
  9. pit — a hole
  10. rule — a law
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. foot — a measure
  15. branch — a division
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. pit — in a race
  18. pound — a weight
  19. track — a path
  20. rule — government
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. foot — part of the body
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. track — a song

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