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

Word bank: mark · kick · craft · bear · patient · safe · racket · bowl

  1. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  24. Is it ________________ for us to be here?

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. craft — boats
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. craft — a skill
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. mark — a grade
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. mark — a trace
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. bear — the animal
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. kick — in football
  23. safe — a strongbox
  24. 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