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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: chip · can · tear · bark · court · kid · safe · toast

  1. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. The ball is in your ________________.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  10. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  17. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  18. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  19. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. court — for sport
  3. can — a tin
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. can — to be able to
  7. bark — to shout
  8. chip — for betting
  9. toast — bread
  10. toast — the most admired
  11. court — of a king
  12. court — of law
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. kid — child
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. tear — to rip
  17. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  18. tear — from crying
  19. toast — a drink to someone
  20. chip — to eat
  21. tear — from crying
  22. can — a tin
  23. kid — to tease
  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