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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: degree · court · mark · branch · wave · can · mouse · plane

  1. The ball is in your ________________.
  2. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. court — for sport
  2. degree — from a university
  3. can — a tin
  4. court — of a king
  5. mark — a grade
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. plane — a tool
  11. can — to be able to
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. court — of law
  14. degree — temperature
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. degree — an amount
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. mark — a trace
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. can — a tin
  24. branch — a division

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