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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 116 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: rock · land · court · drill · branch · patient · plane · pit

  1. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. court — of a king
  3. pit — in a race
  4. drill — a practice
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. plane — a tool
  7. rock — a stone
  8. drill — the tool
  9. branch — a division
  10. court — of law
  11. land — to come down
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. court — for sport
  16. rock — music
  17. land — a country
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. pit — a hole
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. drill — army training
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. land — ground

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