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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: pound · file · rash · pit · bulb · safe · jam · craft

  1. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  20. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  23. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  24. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. pound — a weight
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. jam — to spread on bread
  8. rash — hasty
  9. craft — a skill
  10. pit — in a race
  11. bulb — for light
  12. rash — a series
  13. jam — in traffic
  14. craft — boats
  15. bulb — for light
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. pit — a hole
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. file — a tool
  20. pound — for dogs
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. jam — a tight spot
  23. file — a line of people
  24. file — a document

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