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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 116 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 · bat · pound · bark · mark · saw · safe · mouse

  1. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  4. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. pound — to hit hard
  3. bat — for baseball
  4. bat — the animal
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. club — a group
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. club — for dancing
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. saw — the tool
  13. mark — a trace
  14. bark — to shout
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. mark — a grade
  17. saw — the tool
  18. pound — a weight
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. bat — in an idiom
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. club — for golf
  24. bark — a dog's sound

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