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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: bat · safe · fork · current · craft · hand · jam · coach

  1. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  19. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  24. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. hand — in cards
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. bat — in an idiom
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. jam — in traffic
  9. hand — help
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. current — happening now
  12. craft — boats
  13. current — of water
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. jam — a tight spot
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. jam — to spread on bread
  19. bat — the animal
  20. craft — a skill
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. fork — in a road
  23. hand — part of the body
  24. bat — for baseball

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