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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: bark · safe · pop · key · bound · wind · degree · pitch

  1. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  11. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  19. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  23. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  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. safe — out of danger
  2. bark — to shout
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. bound — tied together
  5. pop — soda
  6. pop — to visit
  7. bound — obliged
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. pop — music
  10. degree — temperature
  11. wind — to turn a key
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. key — in music
  14. wind — moving air
  15. key — the most important part
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. bound — certain
  18. degree — from a university
  19. bark — of a tree
  20. pitch — completely
  21. key — for a lock
  22. wind — moving air
  23. degree — an amount
  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