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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: bay · fan · rule · net · bound · club · root · safe

  1. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. club — for dancing
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. net — in sport
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. club — for golf
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. root — of a word
  10. rule — a law
  11. club — a group
  12. net — for catching
  13. bound — obliged
  14. root — of a plant
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. bound — tied together
  17. net — after costs
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. rule — government
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. root — the cause
  23. rule — to rule out
  24. bound — certain

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