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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. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  2. The ball is in your ________________.
  3. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. Is it ________________ for us to be here?

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. court — for sport
  3. field — farmland
  4. prune — to trim
  5. court — of a king
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. staff — a stick
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. suit — clothes
  10. rush — hurry
  11. suit — in cards
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. prune — to trim
  14. field — for sport
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. court — of law
  17. field — a subject
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. staff — employees
  20. craft — a skill
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. staff — employees
  23. suit — to fit
  24. safe — out of danger

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