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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  19. We're on a ________________ here.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. roll — a cake
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. court — of a king
  5. present — there
  6. degree — an amount
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. court — of law
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. present — a gift
  16. roll — a list
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. degree — temperature
  19. roll — on a roll
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. court — for sport
  22. present — the time now
  23. fork — in a road
  24. degree — from a university

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