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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: bulb · temple · branch · lie · prune · pound · pitch · drill

  1. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  21. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. lie — to recline
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. prune — to trim
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. prune — to trim
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. drill — a practice
  14. branch — a division
  15. drill — army training
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. drill — the tool
  20. pound — to hit hard
  21. pound — a weight
  22. pitch — completely
  23. bulb — for light
  24. bulb — for light

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