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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.

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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: press · pass · temple · court · spring · bowl · mark · spell

  1. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  2. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. press — newspapers
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. spring — a coil
  4. court — for sport
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. mark — a trace
  8. mark — a grade
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. court — of law
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. spring — the season
  15. spell — letters
  16. spell — a short time
  17. pass — a permit
  18. press — a publisher
  19. spell — magic
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. spring — of water
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. court — of a king
  24. press — to push

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