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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: craft · fork · spring · mug · safe · net · press · game

  1. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. spring — the season
  3. game — wild animals
  4. press — a publisher
  5. spring — of water
  6. fork — in a road
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. net — after costs
  11. net — for catching
  12. mug — a face
  13. net — in sport
  14. press — to push
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. spring — a coil
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. mug — a cup
  21. press — newspapers
  22. craft — a skill
  23. game — a match
  24. craft — boats

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