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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: safe · root · court · trunk · roll · club · band · fan

  1. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. We're on a ________________ here.
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a list
  2. court — of a king
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. court — of law
  6. roll — a cake
  7. court — for sport
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. club — for golf
  10. root — the cause
  11. root — of a plant
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. root — of a word
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. club — a group
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. club — for dancing
  19. band — a music group
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. roll — on a roll
  24. band — a ring

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