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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.

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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 spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. game — a match
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. spring — a coil
  7. game — wild animals
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. craft — boats
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. key — for a lock
  17. spring — the season
  18. spring — of water
  19. pass — a permit
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. key — in music
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. key — the most important part
  24. safe — a strongbox

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