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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 116 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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. stem — to come from
  4. court — of a king
  5. mark — a grade
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. branch — a division
  11. court — for sport
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. rock — a stone
  15. mark — a trace
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. court — of law
  18. rock — music

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