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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: land · chair · fine · pitcher · stick · ruler · safe · wave

  1. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. When are we going to ________________?
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — to sit on
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. fine — high quality
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. chair — a leader
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. land — ground
  18. land — a country
  19. fine — all right
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. land — to come down
  24. fine — a penalty

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