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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: cell · stem · temple · press · pass · scale · pitch · court

  1. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. He was locked up in a ________________.
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. scale — size or range
  3. court — of a king
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. cell — in biology
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. court — of law
  8. press — newspapers
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. court — for sport
  12. stem — to come from
  13. press — a publisher
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. press — to push
  16. cell — a phone
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. pass — a permit
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. cell — in a prison
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. scale — in music
  24. pitch — completely

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