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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: safe · club · fan · root · nail · bound · bark · mine

  1. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — for digging
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. root — of a word
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. bound — obliged
  6. bark — to shout
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. club — a group
  10. club — for dancing
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. root — of a plant
  14. bound — tied together
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. root — the cause
  22. bound — certain
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. club — for golf

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