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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 120 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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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: ruler · saw · race · march · club · staff · safe · bulb

  1. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. bulb — for light
  4. march — the month
  5. staff — employees
  6. march — the month
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. club — for dancing
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. saw — the tool
  12. race — the arms race
  13. march — music
  14. club — for golf
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. bulb — for light
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. staff — employees
  20. race — a contest
  21. club — a group
  22. saw — the tool
  23. race — humankind
  24. staff — a stick

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