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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: pitch · kick · bark · safe · club · fork · branch · bore

  1. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  2. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. fork — to eat with
  3. branch — a division
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. fork — in a road
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. bore — to drill
  8. kick — in football
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. club — a group
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. club — for dancing
  17. bark — to shout
  18. pitch — completely
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. bore — to tire
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. pitch — a sales talk

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