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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: stand · straw · temple · pitch · snap · fan · root · branch

  1. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. branch — a division
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. stand — to bear
  11. snap — to click
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. pitch — completely
  14. root — the cause
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. root — of a word
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. root — of a plant
  24. branch — of a bank

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