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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: spring · bowl · craft · field · present · safe · saw · coach

  1. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  24. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. present — there
  3. craft — boats
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. present — the time now
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. field — for sport
  9. spring — of water
  10. saw — the tool
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. present — a gift
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. spring — the season
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. saw — the tool
  17. field — farmland
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. field — a subject
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. craft — a skill
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. spring — a coil

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