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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: spell · firm · branch · wake · temple · cap · march · pitch

  1. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. march — the month
  3. cap — a hat
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. cap — a lid
  8. firm — decided
  9. spell — magic
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. cap — of ice
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. wake — a trail
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. branch — a division
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. firm — steady
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. pitch — completely
  20. march — the month
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. march — music
  23. spell — a short time
  24. firm — a company

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