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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: season · pitch · saw · foot · tube · branch · temple · stem

  1. When was this ________________ built?
  2. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. stem — to come from
  5. branch — a division
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. foot — a measure
  11. saw — the tool
  12. pitch — completely
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. tube — the underground
  15. saw — the tool
  16. season — in sport
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. season — of the year
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. tube — a container
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. season — to add flavour

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