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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: deal · swing · branch · game · dip · court · press · mate

  1. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. deal — to handle
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. court — of a king
  5. court — of law
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. press — to push
  9. mate — to breed
  10. mate — a partner
  11. press — a publisher
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. game — wild animals
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. swing — in golf
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. press — newspapers
  19. court — for sport
  20. swing — music
  21. swing — to play on
  22. dip — to sink
  23. mate — a friend
  24. game — a match

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