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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. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. When was this ________________ built?
  24. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. press — a publisher
  3. court — for sport
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. present — there
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. press — newspapers
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. present — a gift
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. bulb — for light
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. bark — to shout
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. branch — a division
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. bulb — for light
  19. press — to push
  20. present — the time now
  21. court — of law
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. court — of a king

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