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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: safe · cabinet · court · season · staff · bat · craft · foot

  1. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. staff — employees
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. staff — a stick
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. craft — boats
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. craft — a skill
  12. foot — a measure
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. court — for sport
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. court — of law
  19. bat — in an idiom
  20. season — in sport
  21. bat — for baseball
  22. court — of a king
  23. season — of the year
  24. bat — 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