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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 120 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 · stem · fine · court · bay · branch · foot · vault

  1. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. stem — to come from
  3. fine — all right
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. branch — a division
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. vault — a safe
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. foot — a measure
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. court — of a king
  14. fine — high quality
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. mark — a grade
  18. mark — a trace
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. court — of law
  23. court — for sport
  24. stem — of a plant

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