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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
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: bark · pitcher · temple · saw · pass · press · racket · court

  1. When was this ________________ built?
  2. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. court — of law
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. court — of a king
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. press — to push
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. bark — to shout
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. pass — a permit
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. saw — the tool
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. saw — the tool
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. court — for sport
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. press — a publisher
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. press — newspapers
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. racket — for tennis

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