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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 · kick · club · band · straw · bore · court · mark

  1. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  2. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  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. court — of a king
  2. band — a music group
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. band — a ring
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. bore — to drill
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. straw — to clutch at straws
  13. club — for golf
  14. mark — a grade
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. court — for sport
  17. court — of law
  18. kick — in football
  19. bore — to tire
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. club — a group
  22. mark — a trace
  23. safe — a strongbox
  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