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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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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 · mate · chest · rock · racket · cell · safe · craft

  1. He was locked up in a ________________.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  5. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in a prison
  2. rock — a stone
  3. mate — a friend
  4. chest — of your body
  5. pound — a weight
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. chest — of your body
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. chest — a box
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. cell — in biology
  17. mate — a partner
  18. pound — to hit hard
  19. mate — to breed
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. craft — boats
  22. rock — music
  23. cell — a phone
  24. craft — a skill

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