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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 120 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: racket · temple · ground · arm · pitch · rush · branch · pop

  1. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. When was this ________________ built?
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — crushed
  2. pop — soda
  3. pop — music
  4. branch — a division
  5. pop — to visit
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. pitch — completely
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. ground — a position
  17. rush — hurry
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. ground — the earth

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