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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: kick · craft · pitcher · ground · staff · safe · bark · rush

  1. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. staff — employees
  3. rush — hurry
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. ground — crushed
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. kick — in football
  8. bark — to shout
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. staff — employees
  11. ground — the earth
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. ground — a position
  18. bark — of a tree
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. craft — boats
  21. staff — a stick
  22. craft — a skill
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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