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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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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. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. We're on a ________________ here.
  3. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  10. The ball is in your ________________.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. roll — on a roll
  3. roll — a cake
  4. pop — soda
  5. court — of a king
  6. ball — a dance
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. court — of law
  9. roll — a list
  10. court — for sport
  11. rock — music
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. branch — a division
  14. ball — a great time
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. pop — to visit
  17. rock — a stone
  18. pop — music
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. kick — in football
  21. press — to push
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. press — newspapers
  24. press — a publisher

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