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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: safe · plane · spring · date · club · net · bark · bank

  1. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  2. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. Have you settled on a ________________?
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. spring — the season
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. net — after costs
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. net — for catching
  7. plane — a tool
  8. spring — of water
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. bank — of a river
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. spring — a coil
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. bark — to shout
  16. club — for dancing
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. bank — for money
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. net — in sport
  22. bank — for money
  23. date — the fruit
  24. club — a group

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