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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: key · bass · drill · march · safe · craft

  1. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  13. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. key — for a lock
  5. march — the month
  6. key — the most important part
  7. key — in music
  8. drill — army training
  9. craft — boats
  10. bass — low music
  11. craft — a skill
  12. march — music
  13. march — the month
  14. drill — the tool
  15. bass — the fish
  16. drill — a practice
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. 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