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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. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. pit — in a race
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. hand — in cards
  5. craft — a skill
  6. craft — boats
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. hand — help
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. scale — in music
  12. rush — hurry
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. bass — the fish
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. bass — low music
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. pit — a hole
  22. scale — size or range
  23. hand — part of the body
  24. bass — the instrument

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