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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.

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: rest · branch · bat · fine · temple · coach · pitcher · pitch

  1. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  6. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. bat — for baseball
  6. bat — in an idiom
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. bat — the animal
  10. rest — a break
  11. pitch — completely
  12. fine — all right
  13. fine — high quality
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. branch — a division
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. temple — side of the head
  19. rest — what's left
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. rest — what's left

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