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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: stand · prune · cell · calf · court · mark · fall · branch

  1. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. He was locked up in a ________________.
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. mark — a grade
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. court — of law
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. fall — to drop
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. branch — a division
  10. cell — a phone
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. prune — to trim
  13. fall — the season
  14. mark — a trace
  15. cell — in a prison
  16. court — of a king
  17. fall — to drop
  18. stand — to bear
  19. cell — in biology
  20. court — for sport
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. prune — to trim
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. calf — a young animal

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