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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 116 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: key · race · court · safe · stem · bound · craft · season

  1. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. race — a contest
  2. season — of the year
  3. stem — to come from
  4. court — of law
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. craft — boats
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. court — of a king
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. season — in sport
  11. court — for sport
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. bound — obliged
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. bound — tied together
  16. race — the arms race
  17. key — in music
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. bound — certain
  20. craft — a skill
  21. key — the most important part
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. race — humankind
  24. key — for a lock

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