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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 116 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: court · branch · suit · plane · wake · club · stem · sharp

  1. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. stem — to come from
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. court — of law
  10. court — of a king
  11. club — for golf
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. club — a group
  14. suit — clothes
  15. branch — a division
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. wake — a trail
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. suit — to fit
  20. sharp — clever
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. plane — a tool
  23. court — for sport
  24. club — for dancing

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