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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 120 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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. branch — a division
  3. court — for sport
  4. bulb — for light
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. spring — of water
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. bulb — for light
  11. court — of law
  12. pit — in a race
  13. bark — a dog's sound
  14. spring — the season
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. court — of a king
  19. bark — to shout
  20. pit — a hole
  21. deal — to handle
  22. spring — a coil
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. bark — 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