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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: band · mouse · craft · safe · can · race · hand · club

  1. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. band — a ring
  3. craft — boats
  4. can — a tin
  5. hand — in cards
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. band — a rubber band
  8. hand — help
  9. race — a contest
  10. club — for dancing
  11. race — humankind
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. craft — a skill
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. can — a tin
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. race — the arms race
  21. club — for golf
  22. club — a group
  23. can — to be able to
  24. band — a music group

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