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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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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: kick · bass · bay · bat · ground · craft · kid · safe

  1. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  2. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  23. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. bat — for baseball
  4. ground — the earth
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. kid — to tease
  9. bass — the fish
  10. bat — the animal
  11. craft — a skill
  12. ground — a position
  13. kid — child
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. ground — crushed
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. bass — low music
  19. kick — in football
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. craft — boats
  22. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  23. bat — in an idiom
  24. bass — the instrument

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