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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: court · safe · fall · spring · pitch · club · track · bark

  1. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  24. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. court — of a king
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. spring — the season
  5. club — a group
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. spring — of water
  9. club — for dancing
  10. club — for golf
  11. track — to keep track
  12. fall — to drop
  13. pitch — completely
  14. court — for sport
  15. fall — to drop
  16. track — a song
  17. court — of law
  18. track — a path
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. fall — the season
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. bark — to shout
  24. spring — a coil

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