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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.

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: branch · bark · pitch · court · toast · mark · patient · spell

  1. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  2. The ball is in your ________________.
  3. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.

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. toast — a drink to someone
  4. branch — a division
  5. spell — letters
  6. bark — to shout
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. mark — a grade
  9. court — of a king
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. spell — a short time
  12. pitch — completely
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. mark — a trace
  16. toast — bread
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. bark — a dog's sound
  20. spell — magic
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. toast — the most admired

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