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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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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 · press · court · cap · cold · toast · foot · kid

  1. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  6. The water is too ________________.
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  15. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  18. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. press — newspapers
  3. kid — child
  4. cap — a hat
  5. cold — the Cold War
  6. cold — not warm
  7. cap — of ice
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. cold — an illness
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. cap — a lid
  13. press — to push
  14. toast — bread
  15. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  16. foot — a measure
  17. toast — the most admired
  18. toast — a drink to someone
  19. court — for sport
  20. court — of law
  21. kid — to tease
  22. court — of a king
  23. press — a publisher
  24. branch — a division

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