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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 116 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. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  2. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. 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. hand — help
  2. band — a music group
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. hand — in cards
  5. band — a ring
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. court — of a king
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. court — for sport
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. mate — a partner
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. craft — a skill
  15. mate — to breed
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. pop — to visit
  19. pop — soda
  20. pop — music
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. court — of law
  23. mate — a friend
  24. 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