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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: patient · court · bay · bowl · stem · plane · branch · mark

  1. The ________________ took off on time.
  2. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  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. plane — an aircraft
  2. court — of law
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. court — of a king
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. plane — a tool
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. stem — to come from
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. mark — a grade
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. branch — a division
  21. mark — a trace
  22. court — for sport
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  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