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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: rest · season · safe · bass · stock · club · object · craft

  1. Did you ________________ the meat?
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. 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. season — to add flavour
  2. craft — a skill
  3. season — in sport
  4. stock — goods
  5. bass — the fish
  6. club — a group
  7. object — to protest
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. club — for golf
  10. object — a thing
  11. craft — boats
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. bass — low music
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. rest — what's left
  18. club — for dancing
  19. rest — what's left
  20. rest — a break
  21. season — of the year
  22. stock — shares
  23. object — an aim
  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