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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 · safe · press · bass · stick · cap · object · bark

  1. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. object — a thing
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. bass — low music
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. press — to push
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. press — a publisher
  13. object — an aim
  14. craft — boats
  15. cap — a lid
  16. press — newspapers
  17. bass — the fish
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. bark — to shout
  20. cap — of ice
  21. object — to protest
  22. cap — a hat
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  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