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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.

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: branch · wax · court · pass · ball · rest · press · perch

  1. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. pass — a permit
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. perch — the fish
  5. rest — a break
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. press — to push
  8. branch — a division
  9. ball — a great time
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. court — for sport
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. wax — to grow
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. press — a publisher
  17. court — of law
  18. rest — what's left
  19. press — newspapers
  20. ball — a dance
  21. court — of a king
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. rest — what's left
  24. branch — of a bank

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