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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.

Make a worksheet

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
468
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: branch · temple · mark · racket · row · scale · press · bat

  1. When was this ________________ built?
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. mark — a trace
  3. mark — a grade
  4. bat — the animal
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. branch — a division
  7. row — a line
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. scale — in music
  10. press — a publisher
  11. bat — in an idiom
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. press — to push
  14. scale — size or range
  15. bat — for baseball
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. press — newspapers
  24. row — to paddle

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