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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: pitch · vault · tear · track · branch · sharp · temple · prune

  1. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. When was this ________________ built?
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  7. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. track — to keep track
  6. tear — to rip
  7. tear — from crying
  8. prune — to trim
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. track — a path
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. track — a song
  14. tear — from crying
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. pitch — completely
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. vault — a safe
  19. sharp — clever
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. prune — to trim
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. temple — a place of worship

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