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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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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. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  2. The ball is in your ________________.
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. court — for sport
  3. court — of a king
  4. branch — a division
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. bulb — for light
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. bulb — for light
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. mine — for digging
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. stem — to come from
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. mouse — for a computer

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