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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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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: safe · club · scale · stand · capital · suit · bass · land

  1. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. suit — in cards
  4. bass — the fish
  5. suit — to fit
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. land — ground
  10. land — to come down
  11. club — for golf
  12. capital — a city
  13. club — a group
  14. scale — in music
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. capital — a big letter
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. bass — low music
  20. land — a country
  21. club — for dancing
  22. capital — money
  23. suit — clothes
  24. stand — to bear

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