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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 116 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 · pound · racket · wake · fan · club · safe · pit

  1. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. pound — a weight
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. wake — a trail
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. club — for golf
  11. stem — to come from
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. pit — in a race
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. pit — a hole
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. club — a group
  22. pound — for dogs
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. fan — to cool the air

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