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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.

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: current · racket · safe · court · branch · chair · wake · season

  1. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. court — of law
  6. current — electric
  7. court — for sport
  8. wake — a trail
  9. chair — to sit on
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. current — happening now
  14. branch — a division
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. court — of a king
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. chair — a leader
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. season — in sport
  22. current — of water
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. safe — a strongbox

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