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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: pit · rest · press · club · cabinet · temple · coach · branch

  1. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. press — to push
  6. club — a group
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. rest — a break
  9. branch — a division
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. club — for golf
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. rest — what's left
  15. club — for dancing
  16. pit — in a race
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. rest — what's left
  19. press — a publisher
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. press — newspapers
  24. pit — a hole

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