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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: season · court · press · kick · chip · tube · perch · temple

  1. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. press — newspapers
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. chip — for betting
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. tube — a container
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. press — to push
  10. kick — in football
  11. court — of a king
  12. court — of law
  13. perch — the fish
  14. press — a publisher
  15. season — of the year
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. chip — to eat
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. court — for sport
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. tube — the underground

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