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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: craft · face · pound · safe · patient · stock · racket · clip

  1. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  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. craft — a handicraft
  2. craft — boats
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. face — part of the head
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. face — to point toward
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. clip — to cut
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. clip — for paper
  13. stock — goods
  14. pound — a weight
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. clip — a video
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. stock — shares
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. face — to confront
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. pound — for dogs
  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