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

Word bank: bark · racket · safe · wound · club · foot

  1. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. club — a group
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. club — for golf
  9. bark — to shout
  10. foot — a measure
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. wound — an injury
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. wound — past of 'wind'
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. wound — an injury
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. racket — a loud noise

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