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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: wound · pop · key · wake · stand · safe · bark · court

  1. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. wound — an injury
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. key — the most important part
  6. pop — to visit
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. wake — a trail
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. pop — music
  13. court — of law
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. court — of a king
  16. key — in music
  17. court — for sport
  18. wound — an injury
  19. bark — to shout
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. pop — soda
  22. wound — past of 'wind'
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. stand — to bear

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