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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: club · wax · court · safe · patient · bark · racket · bear

  1. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. club — for golf
  7. court — for sport
  8. court — of law
  9. club — a group
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. club — for dancing
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. bear — the animal
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. bear — the animal
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. wax — to grow
  22. court — of a king
  23. wax — in the ear
  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