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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: pit · dip · bark · content · branch · temple · jam · cap

  1. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  4. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. content — happy
  4. jam — to spread on bread
  5. cap — a hat
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. bark — to shout
  8. dip — to sink
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. pit — in a race
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. jam — in traffic
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. temple — side of the head
  19. cap — a lid
  20. content — the amount
  21. cap — of ice
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. jam — a tight spot
  24. branch — a division

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