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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.

Make a worksheet

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
468
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: board · branch · pitcher · patient · racket · chair · bat · prune

  1. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a professorship
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. branch — a division
  5. bat — for baseball
  6. prune — to trim
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. prune — to trim
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. chair — to sit on
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. bat — the animal
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. board — a committee
  20. chair — a leader
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. board — to get on
  24. bat — in an idiom

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