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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: game · bore · bass · charge · bark · safe · calf · clip

  1. That was a fun ________________.
  2. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  23. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  24. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. bark — of a tree
  3. bass — low music
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. charge — in control
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. charge — electricity
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. clip — for paper
  11. bore — to tire
  12. bore — to drill
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. bark — to shout
  17. charge — a price
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. clip — to cut
  21. bass — the fish
  22. bark — a dog's sound
  23. clip — a video
  24. game — wild animals

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