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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: hand · ball · bark · net · pitcher · plane · firm · safe

  1. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  24. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. firm — decided
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. ball — a great time
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. hand — in cards
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. plane — a tool
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. net — for catching
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. hand — help
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. net — in sport
  19. ball — a dance
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. firm — steady
  22. net — after costs
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  24. bark — to shout

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