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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: bark · season · cue · saw · safe · bat · craft · coach

  1. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  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. craft — a handicraft
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. bat — for baseball
  4. cue — for pool
  5. saw — the tool
  6. bat — the animal
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. season — in sport
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. bark — to shout
  14. cue — a signal
  15. cue — a hint
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. bat — in an idiom
  18. craft — boats
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. saw — the tool
  22. season — of the year
  23. craft — a skill
  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