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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: cold · bark · safe · rush · bowl · club · object · swing

  1. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  11. The water is too ________________.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. club — for dancing
  6. cold — the Cold War
  7. object — an aim
  8. swing — music
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. cold — an illness
  11. cold — not warm
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. rush — hurry
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. object — to protest
  18. swing — to play on
  19. club — a group
  20. swing — in golf
  21. bark — a dog's sound
  22. object — a thing
  23. club — for golf
  24. bowl — a dish

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