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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 116 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: court · dip · safe · tear · club · deal · bark · bowl

  1. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  24. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. tear — from crying
  4. court — for sport
  5. tear — from crying
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. tear — to rip
  12. club — a group
  13. deal — to handle
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. dip — to sink
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. court — of law
  19. bowl — to roll
  20. club — for dancing
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. bark — to shout
  24. court — of a king

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