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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: fine · cap · temple · branch · pop · hand · root · pitcher

  1. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. hand — in cards
  4. root — of a plant
  5. pop — to visit
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. hand — help
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. root — the cause
  12. branch — a division
  13. root — of a word
  14. pop — music
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. fine — high quality
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. cap — a hat
  19. cap — of ice
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. pop — soda
  23. fine — all right
  24. cap — a lid

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