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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 120 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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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: racket · game · safe · club · band · ruler · fan · bark

  1. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  24. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. band — a ring
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. game — a match
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. club — a group
  13. game — wild animals
  14. bark — to shout
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. club — for dancing
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. band — a music group
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. safe — a strongbox
  24. bark — a dog's sound

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