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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: pound · branch · kick · press · last · court · pit · bore

  1. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  2. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. pound — for dogs
  3. last — to go on
  4. kick — in football
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. press — newspapers
  8. pit — in a race
  9. bore — to tire
  10. last — final
  11. branch — a division
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. press — to push
  14. press — a publisher
  15. last — finally
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. pit — a hole
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. court — of law
  22. pound — a weight
  23. court — for sport
  24. bore — to drill

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