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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: capital · temple · pitch · branch · stem · wake · mouse · toast

  1. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  7. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  8. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. toast — a drink to someone
  3. branch — a division
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. wake — a trail
  6. toast — the most admired
  7. capital — a big letter
  8. capital — a city
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. capital — money
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. toast — bread
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. pitch — completely
  23. stem — to come from
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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