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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: jam · bark · kick · cold · safe · ball · fork · mouse

  1. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  21. The water is too ________________.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  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. safe — out of danger
  2. jam — a tight spot
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. jam — in traffic
  5. fork — in a road
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. cold — the Cold War
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. cold — an illness
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. ball — a dance
  15. kick — in football
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. bark — to shout
  20. jam — to spread on bread
  21. cold — not warm
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. ball — a great time
  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