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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: bark · safe · row · key · squash · craft · court · trunk

  1. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. bark — to shout
  4. row — a quarrel
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. court — of law
  9. key — for a lock
  10. squash — the sport
  11. craft — boats
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. court — for sport
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. court — of a king
  18. key — in music
  19. row — a line
  20. key — the most important part
  21. row — to paddle
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. craft — a skill
  24. squash — to crush

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