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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
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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: field · rest · branch · plane · temple · scale · land · pound

  1. When was this ________________ built?
  2. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.

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. plane — an aircraft
  4. scale — in music
  5. scale — size or range
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. plane — a tool
  8. field — a subject
  9. pound — a weight
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. field — farmland
  12. land — to come down
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. branch — a division
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. rest — a break
  17. field — for sport
  18. land — ground
  19. land — a country
  20. rest — what's left
  21. pound — to hit hard
  22. rest — what's left
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. temple — side of the head

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