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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
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Word bank
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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: temple · net · ball · chair · kid · season · craft · branch

  1. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  2. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a professorship
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. net — in sport
  5. ball — a great time
  6. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. chair — to sit on
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. season — of the year
  12. craft — boats
  13. craft — a skill
  14. season — in sport
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. net — after costs
  17. kid — to tease
  18. branch — a division
  19. net — for catching
  20. ball — a dance
  21. kid — child
  22. chair — a leader
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. ball — a round shape

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