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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: net · bark · pit · date · safe · toast · rule · wax

  1. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. Have you settled on a ________________?
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  11. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — the most admired
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. bark — to shout
  7. net — for catching
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. date — the fruit
  11. toast — a drink to someone
  12. wax — to grow
  13. rule — a law
  14. net — after costs
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. net — in sport
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. rule — government
  19. pit — in a race
  20. toast — bread
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. pit — a hole

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