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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: tear · safe · coach · stick · court · pound · club · trunk

  1. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  3. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  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. safe — out of danger
  2. club — for golf
  3. tear — from crying
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. club — for dancing
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. tear — to rip
  11. court — of a king
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. pound — a weight
  15. court — for sport
  16. tear — from crying
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. court — of law
  19. pound — for dogs
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. club — a group
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. pound — to hit hard
  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