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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. drill — a practice
  4. chair — to sit on
  5. drill — the tool
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. drill — army training
  8. cap — of ice
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. chair — a leader
  11. ground — a position
  12. ground — crushed
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. cap — a hat
  15. ground — the earth
  16. cap — a lid
  17. craft — a skill
  18. craft — boats

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