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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 · pop · spell · wave · branch · stand · patient

  1. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. branch — a division
  4. pop — music
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. stand — to bear
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. pop — soda
  9. spell — a short time
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. pop — to visit
  13. spell — letters
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. court — of law
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. court — of a king
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. court — for sport
  21. spell — magic
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. mark — a grade
  24. branch — of a tree

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