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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: safe · bark · club · key · pit · stand · degree · row

  1. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  19. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. row — a quarrel
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. club — a group
  7. degree — temperature
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. degree — an amount
  10. key — for a lock
  11. stand — to bear
  12. pit — a hole
  13. club — for golf
  14. row — to paddle
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. degree — from a university
  17. club — for dancing
  18. bark — of a tree
  19. bark — a dog's sound
  20. row — a line
  21. key — the most important part
  22. pit — in a race
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. key — in music

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