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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 · racket · perch · ruler · trunk · safe · branch · drill

  1. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  24. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. drill — the tool
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. bat — in an idiom
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. branch — a division
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. bat — the animal
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. drill — army training
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. perch — the fish
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. drill — a practice
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. bat — for baseball
  24. trunk — 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