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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.

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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: root · bark · hand · jam · saw · stand · safe · ball

  1. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. stand — to bear
  4. root — the cause
  5. jam — in traffic
  6. hand — help
  7. ball — a dance
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. saw — the tool
  10. jam — a tight spot
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. ball — a great time
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. root — of a word
  15. saw — the tool
  16. jam — to spread on bread
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. bark — to shout
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. root — of a plant

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