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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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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: court · file · bear · craft · safe · racket · saw · shower

  1. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  19. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  20. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. saw — the tool
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. shower — rain
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. court — for sport
  7. court — of law
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. saw — the tool
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. craft — boats
  18. shower — to wash
  19. court — of a king
  20. file — a tool
  21. bear — the animal
  22. file — a document
  23. craft — a skill
  24. bear — the animal

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