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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: craft · bowl · net · trunk · safe · present · cabinet · rule

  1. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. net — after costs
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. craft — boats
  4. present — the time now
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. net — for catching
  7. rule — government
  8. present — a gift
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. rule — a law
  12. net — in sport
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. present — there
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. craft — a skill

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