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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: mark · court · degree · trunk · press · stand · fork · branch

  1. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. mark — a grade
  3. court — of law
  4. mark — a trace
  5. degree — an amount
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. degree — from a university
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. court — for sport
  10. fork — in a road
  11. court — of a king
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. degree — temperature
  15. press — a publisher
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. stand — to bear
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. branch — a division
  23. press — newspapers
  24. press — to push

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