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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 · stem · bear · track · branch · bass · bat · mouse

  1. When was this ________________ built?
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  15. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. bear — the animal
  3. bat — for baseball
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. track — a song
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. branch — a division
  9. stem — to come from
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. bass — the fish
  13. track — a path
  14. bat — the animal
  15. bat — in an idiom
  16. bear — the animal
  17. track — to keep track
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. temple — side of the head
  22. bass — low music
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. stem — a stem cell

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