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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 116 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 · press · pass · rest · deal · season · court · suit

  1. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. suit — in cards
  3. court — of a king
  4. season — of the year
  5. season — in sport
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. pass — a permit
  8. court — for sport
  9. branch — a division
  10. deal — to handle
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. press — a publisher
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. rest — what's left
  15. rest — what's left
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. suit — to fit
  19. rest — a break
  20. suit — clothes
  21. press — newspapers
  22. press — to push
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. court — of law

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