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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
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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: rest · staff · band · craft · jam · safe · capital · season

  1. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  2. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  3. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  4. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. band — a music group
  3. capital — a big letter
  4. capital — money
  5. rest — what's left
  6. band — a ring
  7. staff — a stick
  8. jam — to spread on bread
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. staff — employees
  11. rest — a break
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. capital — a city
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. staff — employees
  17. jam — in traffic
  18. season — in sport
  19. craft — a skill
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. jam — a tight spot
  23. rest — what's left
  24. season — of the year

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