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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: fall · bore · temple · pitcher · drill · branch · perch · field

  1. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. When was this ________________ built?
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. field — a subject
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. fall — to drop
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. drill — army training
  8. branch — a division
  9. fall — the season
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. fall — to drop
  12. drill — a practice
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. perch — the fish
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. bore — to tire
  19. drill — the tool
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. field — farmland
  22. field — for sport
  23. bore — to drill
  24. perch — for a bird

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