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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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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: bat · dip · safe · suit · club · snap · land · pass

  1. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  3. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. bat — the animal
  3. bat — for baseball
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. snap — to click
  6. club — for golf
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. dip — to sink
  9. land — to come down
  10. bat — in an idiom
  11. club — a group
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. club — for dancing
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. suit — clothes
  19. land — a country
  20. land — ground
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. pass — a permit
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. suit — to fit

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