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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: rush · scale · club · swing · spring · craft · safe · deal

  1. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. club — for golf
  3. rush — hurry
  4. scale — in music
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. club — for dancing
  7. craft — a skill
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. spring — the season
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. spring — of water
  13. deal — to handle
  14. swing — music
  15. craft — boats
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. spring — a coil
  19. scale — size or range
  20. club — a group
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. swing — to play on
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. swing — in golf

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