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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 120 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: racket · temple · pass · staff · branch · calf · pitch · vault

  1. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. vault — a safe
  3. branch — a division
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. staff — employees
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. pass — a permit
  12. pitch — completely
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. staff — a stick
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. temple — side of the head
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. staff — employees
  24. pass — to spend time

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