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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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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: stem · land · deal · craft · safe · tube · bay · club

  1. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. craft — boats
  3. stem — to come from
  4. land — to come down
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. land — ground
  8. tube — the underground
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. land — a country
  12. deal — to handle
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. club — for golf
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. club — for dancing
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. craft — a skill
  23. club — a group
  24. tube — a container

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