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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: staff · shower · craft · safe · game · race · jam · field

  1. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  2. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  12. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  15. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  16. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  22. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. field — farmland
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. field — for sport
  6. staff — a stick
  7. game — wild animals
  8. race — humankind
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. craft — boats
  11. race — a contest
  12. jam — in traffic
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. shower — a meteor shower
  15. jam — a tight spot
  16. jam — to spread on bread
  17. shower — to wash
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. staff — employees
  20. game — a match
  21. race — the arms race
  22. field — a subject
  23. craft — a skill
  24. staff — employees

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