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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: chip · bass · band · court · root · craft · row · safe

  1. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. row — a line
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. root — the cause
  5. bass — low music
  6. court — for sport
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. root — of a word
  10. root — of a plant
  11. row — to paddle
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. court — of law
  14. band — a music group
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. craft — a skill
  17. chip — for betting
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. court — of a king
  20. craft — boats
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. band — a ring
  23. bass — the fish
  24. chip — to eat

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