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

Word bank: branch · stand · pit · temple · press · season · club · kick

  1. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. When was this ________________ built?
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — side of the head
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. press — to push
  4. club — a group
  5. press — a publisher
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. kick — in football
  9. season — in sport
  10. club — for golf
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. stand — to bear
  13. pit — a hole
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. season — of the year
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. press — newspapers
  20. branch — a division
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. pit — in a race
  24. club — for dancing

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