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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: safe · clip · squash · date · firm · rash · craft · ball

  1. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. Have you settled on a ________________?
  8. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  20. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. craft — boats
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. ball — a dance
  5. craft — a skill
  6. rash — a series
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. clip — to cut
  9. firm — decided
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. firm — steady
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. firm — a company
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. clip — for paper
  16. squash — to crush
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. squash — the sport
  19. clip — a video
  20. date — the fruit
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. rash — hasty
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. ball — a great time

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