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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 120 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: hand · march · craft · hide · club · mark · safe · ball

  1. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. craft — a skill
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. ball — a great time
  6. march — the month
  7. club — for golf
  8. march — music
  9. ball — a dance
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. hand — help
  13. club — for dancing
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. club — a group
  16. hand — in cards
  17. craft — boats
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. march — the month
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. mark — a grade
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. mark — a trace

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