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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.

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: temple · branch · field · fork · rule · rock · pitcher · mate

  1. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. When was this ________________ built?
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  22. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. rule — a law
  3. rule — government
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. rock — music
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. mate — to breed
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. mate — a friend
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. branch — a division
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. fork — in a road
  19. field — a subject
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. temple — side of the head
  22. field — farmland
  23. mate — a partner
  24. field — for sport

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