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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: safe · club · pit · rash · stem · land · chair · mate

  1. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. When are we going to ________________?
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  21. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. land — to come down
  3. land — a country
  4. club — a group
  5. club — for golf
  6. stem — to come from
  7. pit — in a race
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. land — ground
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. mate — a partner
  12. pit — a hole
  13. mate — a friend
  14. club — for dancing
  15. rash — hasty
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. mate — to breed
  18. rash — a series
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. chair — to sit on
  21. chair — a professorship
  22. chair — a leader
  23. stem — a stem cell
  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