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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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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: bass · root · club · tear · bore · safe · court · hand

  1. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. club — for dancing
  3. root — of a word
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. tear — to rip
  6. bass — the fish
  7. root — the cause
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. hand — in cards
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. club — a group
  13. tear — from crying
  14. hand — help
  15. club — for golf
  16. tear — from crying
  17. court — of a king
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. bass — low music
  20. root — of a plant
  21. bore — to tire
  22. court — of law
  23. court — for sport
  24. bore — to drill

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