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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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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: land · safe · craft · current · spell · race · foot · game

  1. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  6. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  24. When are we going to ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. spell — letters
  3. current — of water
  4. current — happening now
  5. race — a contest
  6. race — humankind
  7. game — wild animals
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. craft — boats
  10. game — a match
  11. current — electric
  12. spell — a short time
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. spell — magic
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. craft — a skill
  17. land — a country
  18. race — the arms race
  19. foot — a measure
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. land — ground
  23. foot — part of the body
  24. land — to come down

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