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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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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: present · press · ball · roll · branch · hand · season · game

  1. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  19. We're on a ________________ here.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. press — newspapers
  3. season — of the year
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. branch — a division
  7. game — wild animals
  8. game — a match
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. hand — help
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. press — to push
  13. press — a publisher
  14. present — the time now
  15. season — in sport
  16. ball — a dance
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. roll — a list
  19. roll — on a roll
  20. ball — a great time
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. present — there
  23. roll — a cake
  24. present — a gift

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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