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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 · present · dip · branch · scale · can · court · pit

  1. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. pit — a hole
  3. press — newspapers
  4. scale — size or range
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. can — to be able to
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. present — there
  9. court — for sport
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. dip — to sink
  12. press — to push
  13. court — of law
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. can — a tin
  17. branch — a division
  18. present — the time now
  19. present — a gift
  20. scale — in music
  21. press — a publisher
  22. court — of a king
  23. pit — in a race
  24. can — a tin

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