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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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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: temple · bark · racket · rule · club · calf · wind · safe

  1. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. rule — government
  3. wind — to turn a key
  4. bark — to shout
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. rule — a law
  9. club — for golf
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. wind — moving air
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. club — for dancing
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. wind — moving air
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. temple — side of the head
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. temple — a place of worship
  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