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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: rash · club · safe · pass · bay · root · land · band

  1. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. club — for dancing
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. rash — hasty
  6. land — to come down
  7. club — for golf
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. pass — a permit
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. root — the cause
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. rash — a series
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. band — a ring
  19. land — ground
  20. land — a country
  21. root — of a word
  22. band — a music group
  23. club — a group
  24. root — of a plant

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