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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: branch · patient · plane · court · mouse · bound · current · pass

  1. The ball is in your ________________.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. court — for sport
  2. branch — a division
  3. current — of water
  4. court — of law
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. plane — a tool
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. current — electric
  9. bound — certain
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. court — of a king
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. pass — a permit
  16. bound — obliged
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. bound — tied together
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. current — happening now

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