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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: court · fine · branch · racket · cabinet · stem · scale · bulb

  1. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  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. stem — to come from
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. branch — a division
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. bulb — for light
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. fine — all right
  12. court — of a king
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. court — for sport
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. court — of law
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. bulb — for light
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. fine — high quality
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. scale — size or range
  23. scale — in music
  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