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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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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: staff · net · safe · club · stand · court · branch · chair

  1. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  2. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  21. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  24. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a leader
  2. net — after costs
  3. club — for golf
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. club — for dancing
  7. net — in sport
  8. club — a group
  9. branch — a division
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. court — for sport
  12. court — of a king
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. stand — to bear
  16. staff — employees
  17. net — for catching
  18. staff — a stick
  19. court — of law
  20. staff — employees
  21. chair — a professorship
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. safe — a strongbox
  24. chair — to sit on

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