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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 120 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: club · pit · rule · cap · land · safe · chair · leaves

  1. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. rule — government
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. land — to come down
  8. pit — in a race
  9. pit — a hole
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. chair — a professorship
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. club — for golf
  15. club — for dancing
  16. cap — a hat
  17. land — ground
  18. cap — of ice
  19. club — a group
  20. land — a country
  21. cap — a lid
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. rule — a law
  24. chair — a leader

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