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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: staff · pitcher · craft · mouse · spring · charge · stick · safe

  1. He is an ace ________________.
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  24. Is it ________________ for us to be here?

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. charge — a price
  5. staff — employees
  6. charge — in control
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. spring — a coil
  11. craft — a skill
  12. charge — electricity
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. staff — employees
  15. spring — the season
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. craft — boats
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. spring — of water
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. staff — a stick
  24. safe — out of danger

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