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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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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 · court · firm · bank · fine · saw · stem · mark

  1. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. court — of law
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. saw — the tool
  5. firm — a company
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. saw — the tool
  8. branch — a division
  9. firm — decided
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. firm — steady
  12. court — for sport
  13. bank — of a river
  14. fine — high quality
  15. fine — all right
  16. mark — a grade
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. bank — for money
  19. court — of a king
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. mark — a trace
  24. bank — for money

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