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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: stock · mate · safe · land · rule · club · bay · kid

  1. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  18. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. When are we going to ________________?
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — a law
  2. rule — government
  3. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  4. stock — shares
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. land — a country
  11. stock — goods
  12. mate — to breed
  13. club — for dancing
  14. mate — a partner
  15. mate — a friend
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. kid — to tease
  18. kid — child
  19. land — ground
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. club — for golf
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. land — to come down
  24. club — a group

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