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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: march · temple · staff · press · scale · ball · branch · pit

  1. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. When was this ________________ built?
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. press — to push
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. pit — a hole
  6. press — a publisher
  7. march — music
  8. scale — size or range
  9. staff — employees
  10. temple — side of the head
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. staff — a stick
  13. press — newspapers
  14. pit — in a race
  15. ball — a dance
  16. march — the month
  17. scale — in music
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. ball — a great time
  21. staff — employees
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. march — the month
  24. branch — a division

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