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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
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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: club · foot · court · game · safe · dip · trunk · chair

  1. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  2. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. dip — to sink
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. court — of law
  6. court — of a king
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. club — for dancing
  11. chair — to sit on
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. court — for sport
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. chair — a professorship
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. foot — a measure
  18. game — a match
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. game — wild animals
  22. chair — a leader
  23. club — a group
  24. safe — a strongbox

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