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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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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: key · racket · club · wound · safe · root · prune · bay

  1. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  24. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. wound — an injury
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. club — for dancing
  5. key — the most important part
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. root — of a word
  8. root — of a plant
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. root — the cause
  12. wound — an injury
  13. club — for golf
  14. club — a group
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. key — for a lock
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. prune — to trim
  22. key — in music
  23. wound — past of 'wind'
  24. prune — to trim

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