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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.

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
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: club · safe · craft · season · key · ball · root · face

  1. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. club — for dancing
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. club — for golf
  6. club — a group
  7. face — part of the head
  8. craft — a skill
  9. root — of a plant
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. season — in sport
  12. craft — boats
  13. face — to confront
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. ball — a dance
  16. key — the most important part
  17. ball — a great time
  18. key — in music
  19. root — the cause
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. key — for a lock
  22. season — of the year
  23. root — of a word
  24. face — to point toward

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