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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 120 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 · land · bass · key · staff · patient · court · craft

  1. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  24. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. land — ground
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. land — a country
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. staff — a stick
  8. court — of a king
  9. land — to come down
  10. craft — boats
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. bass — the fish
  13. key — the most important part
  14. staff — employees
  15. court — for sport
  16. key — in music
  17. staff — employees
  18. craft — a skill
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. bass — low music
  21. key — for a lock
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. safe — a strongbox
  24. court — of law

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