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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: content · club · bat · foot · bound · safe · last · chair

  1. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  11. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  12. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. I have a corn on my right ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. bound — tied together
  3. last — finally
  4. chair — a leader
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. bound — certain
  7. bat — the animal
  8. content — the amount
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. bat — in an idiom
  11. bat — for baseball
  12. chair — a professorship
  13. content — happy
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. club — a group
  17. foot — a measure
  18. chair — to sit on
  19. bound — obliged
  20. last — final
  21. club — for dancing
  22. last — to go on
  23. club — for golf
  24. foot — part of the body

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