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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 120 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: firm · rule · club · bear · race · safe

  1. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. 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. bear — to put up with
  3. race — a contest
  4. rule — government
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. firm — steady
  8. club — a group
  9. club — for dancing
  10. firm — a company
  11. race — humankind
  12. bear — the animal
  13. race — the arms race
  14. bear — the animal
  15. rule — a law
  16. firm — decided
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. 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