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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: temple · game · bore · nail · dip · branch · pitch · mate

  1. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. mate — a partner
  4. dip — to sink
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. temple — side of the head
  11. game — wild animals
  12. mate — to breed
  13. game — a match
  14. bore — to drill
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. mate — a friend
  18. pitch — completely
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. bore — to tire
  22. branch — a division
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. nail — for a hammer

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