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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.

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: club · pitch · fan · bark · safe · saw · jam · root

  1. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  24. Is it ________________ for us to be here?

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. saw — the tool
  3. saw — the tool
  4. root — of a plant
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. jam — in traffic
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. bark — to shout
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. club — for dancing
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. root — the cause
  16. jam — a tight spot
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. root — of a word
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. club — for golf
  21. jam — to spread on bread
  22. pitch — completely
  23. safe — a strongbox
  24. safe — out of danger

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