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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: present · branch · temple · march · mark · net · bass · game

  1. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. march — the month
  4. bass — the fish
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. mark — a grade
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. game — a match
  10. march — music
  11. net — after costs
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. mark — a trace
  15. present — there
  16. present — a gift
  17. present — the time now
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. bass — low music
  20. march — the month
  21. net — for catching
  22. game — a kind of play
  23. net — in sport
  24. game — wild animals

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