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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: saw · club · bat · spring · safe · stand · branch · season

  1. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. bat — for baseball
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. saw — the tool
  6. branch — a division
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. spring — a coil
  9. saw — the tool
  10. spring — of water
  11. club — for dancing
  12. club — for golf
  13. season — of the year
  14. spring — the season
  15. club — a group
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. stand — to bear
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. bat — the animal
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. bat — in an idiom
  23. safe — a strongbox
  24. season — to add flavour

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