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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. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. mate — a friend
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. bear — the animal
  5. bear — the animal
  6. press — a publisher
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. press — newspapers
  10. court — of a king
  11. press — to push
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. court — for sport
  14. branch — a division
  15. mate — to breed
  16. mate — a partner
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. degree — an amount
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. court — of law
  21. degree — temperature
  22. pit — in a race
  23. pit — a hole
  24. degree — from a university

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