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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: stock · staff · pitch · leaves · wave · date · club · safe

  1. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  9. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. Have you settled on a ________________?
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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. safe — a strongbox
  4. staff — a stick
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. stock — shares
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. staff — employees
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. date — the fruit
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. club — a group
  14. staff — employees
  15. club — for dancing
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. pitch — completely
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. stock — goods
  24. leaves — to go away

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