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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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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: race · face · stand · racket · court · object · chair · branch

  1. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  24. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. race — humankind
  3. object — to protest
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. race — the arms race
  6. object — a thing
  7. chair — a professorship
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. court — of law
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. face — to confront
  13. branch — a division
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. chair — to sit on
  16. stand — to bear
  17. object — an aim
  18. face — to point toward
  19. face — part of the head
  20. chair — a leader
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. race — a contest
  23. court — for sport
  24. court — of a king

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