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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
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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: land · root · chair · bass · saw · safe · toast · bat

  1. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  5. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. When are we going to ________________?
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  22. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  23. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  24. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. land — a country
  4. bat — for baseball
  5. chair — to sit on
  6. root — of a plant
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. land — ground
  9. toast — a drink to someone
  10. root — of a word
  11. bat — the animal
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. chair — a leader
  14. bass — low music
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. bass — the fish
  17. saw — the tool
  18. saw — the tool
  19. land — to come down
  20. root — the cause
  21. chair — a professorship
  22. toast — the most admired
  23. toast — bread
  24. bat — in an idiom

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