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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. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. saw — the tool
  6. court — of law
  7. rash — a series
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. band — a ring
  10. prune — to trim
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. craft — boats
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. rash — hasty
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. court — of a king
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. craft — a skill
  20. prune — to trim
  21. court — for sport
  22. foot — a measure
  23. band — a music group
  24. saw — the tool

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