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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 120 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: press · court · rash · sharp · mug · fine · branch · ground

  1. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. fine — all right
  3. fine — high quality
  4. mug — a cup
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. mug — to rob
  7. court — for sport
  8. court — of law
  9. press — a publisher
  10. press — to push
  11. mug — a face
  12. sharp — clever
  13. branch — a division
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. court — of a king
  18. press — newspapers
  19. rash — hasty
  20. ground — crushed
  21. ground — a position
  22. ground — the earth
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. sharp — with an edge

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