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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 · bat · rush · bowl · safe · drill · fine · prune

  1. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  2. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — for baseball
  2. bowl — a dish
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. prune — to trim
  6. fine — high quality
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. drill — the tool
  11. prune — to trim
  12. bat — the animal
  13. drill — army training
  14. craft — a skill
  15. craft — boats
  16. rush — hurry
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. bat — in an idiom
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. fine — all right
  23. drill — a practice
  24. safe — a strongbox

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