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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: bat · present · chair · branch · racket · stick · safe · court

  1. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  5. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. chair — a professorship
  5. chair — a leader
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. bat — the animal
  9. court — of law
  10. bat — for baseball
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. present — a gift
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. bat — in an idiom
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. court — of a king
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. present — the time now
  21. present — there
  22. court — for sport
  23. safe — a strongbox
  24. branch — a division

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