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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: club · craft · cap · ground · ruler · stem · bark · safe

  1. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  24. Is it ________________ for us to be here?

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

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. bark — to shout
  3. club — for dancing
  4. cap — a lid
  5. craft — a skill
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. ground — a position
  8. club — a group
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. stem — to come from
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. ground — the earth
  15. bark — of a tree
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. cap — a hat
  18. craft — boats
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. cap — of ice
  22. ground — crushed
  23. safe — a strongbox
  24. safe — out of danger

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