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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: perch · branch · racket · season · firm · rush · net · chair

  1. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. season — in sport
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. branch — a division
  6. perch — the fish
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. season — of the year
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. chair — a professorship
  11. net — for catching
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. chair — a leader
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. firm — decided
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. net — after costs
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. firm — a company
  22. rush — hurry
  23. chair — to sit on
  24. net — in sport

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