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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: temple · court · ball · season · press · charge · chest · spell

  1. The King held a masked ________________.
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. press — newspapers
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. season — of the year
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. spell — magic
  7. charge — electricity
  8. ball — a great time
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. season — in sport
  11. chest — of your body
  12. court — of law
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. press — a publisher
  15. court — of a king
  16. court — for sport
  17. spell — letters
  18. spell — a short time
  19. press — to push
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. charge — a price
  22. chest — of your body
  23. charge — in control
  24. chest — a box

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