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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 · ball · trunk · key · track · court · pitcher · club

  1. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. track — to keep track
  5. court — of a king
  6. key — the most important part
  7. court — for sport
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. key — in music
  11. track — a song
  12. court — of law
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. club — for golf
  15. key — for a lock
  16. club — a group
  17. ball — a great time
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. track — a path
  23. ball — a dance
  24. club — for dancing

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