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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: firm · mine · land · chip · fine · straw · safe · club

  1. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  4. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. club — a group
  3. club — for golf
  4. land — ground
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. firm — decided
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. land — to come down
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. land — a country
  16. fine — high quality
  17. mine — for digging
  18. fine — all right
  19. club — for dancing
  20. firm — steady
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. firm — a company
  23. chip — to eat
  24. chip — for betting

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