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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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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: plane · chair · temple · court · bound · press · season · suit

  1. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  2. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. suit — clothes
  3. press — a publisher
  4. bound — obliged
  5. chair — to sit on
  6. court — of a king
  7. suit — to fit
  8. bound — tied together
  9. chair — a professorship
  10. season — of the year
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. plane — a tool
  14. chair — a leader
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. suit — in cards
  17. bound — certain
  18. press — to push
  19. season — in sport
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. temple — side of the head
  22. press — newspapers
  23. court — for sport
  24. season — to add flavour

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