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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: present · temple · date · branch · file · stand · degree · mate

  1. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. Have you settled on a ________________?
  4. When was this ________________ built?
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  17. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  18. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  21. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  22. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  23. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. stand — to bear
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. mate — a partner
  10. present — the time now
  11. present — there
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. mate — to breed
  14. mate — a friend
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. degree — from a university
  17. file — a document
  18. date — the fruit
  19. present — a gift
  20. file — a line of people
  21. file — a tool
  22. degree — temperature
  23. degree — an amount
  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