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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.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. When was this ________________ built?
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. He was locked up in a ________________.
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. press — a publisher
  7. cell — in biology
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. club — for golf
  10. cell — a phone
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. game — wild animals
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. club — for dancing
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. press — newspapers
  18. branch — a division
  19. cell — in a prison
  20. club — a group
  21. game — a match
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. ruler — a monarch
  24. press — to push

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