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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.

Make a worksheet

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: craft · calf · jam · safe · court · clip · club · plane

  1. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. craft — a skill
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. court — of law
  5. court — for sport
  6. club — a group
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. jam — to spread on bread
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. jam — a tight spot
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. clip — for paper
  16. plane — a tool
  17. jam — in traffic
  18. court — of a king
  19. clip — to cut
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. club — for golf
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. craft — boats
  24. clip — a video

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