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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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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: march · kid · club · rule · firm · staff · tear · safe

  1. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  6. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  24. Is it ________________ for us to be here?

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. staff — employees
  3. tear — from crying
  4. rule — government
  5. tear — to rip
  6. kid — to tease
  7. staff — a stick
  8. march — music
  9. firm — a company
  10. kid — child
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. rule — a law
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. march — the month
  15. staff — employees
  16. firm — steady
  17. firm — decided
  18. march — the month
  19. club — a group
  20. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. club — for golf
  23. tear — from crying
  24. safe — out of danger

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