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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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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: safe · mouse · stem · jam · court · can · craft · net

  1. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  10. The ball is in your ________________.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  14. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. net — after costs
  3. craft — a skill
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. can — a tin
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. craft — boats
  9. jam — in traffic
  10. court — for sport
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. can — to be able to
  13. jam — to spread on bread
  14. jam — a tight spot
  15. can — a tin
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. court — of law
  20. stem — to come from
  21. court — of a king
  22. net — in sport
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. stem — of a plant

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