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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. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. He was locked up in a ________________.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  18. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. degree — temperature
  3. root — the cause
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. cell — in a prison
  6. root — of a word
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. bound — certain
  9. root — of a plant
  10. cell — a phone
  11. band — a music group
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. court — of law
  15. bound — obliged
  16. court — of a king
  17. degree — an amount
  18. degree — from a university
  19. bound — tied together
  20. court — for sport
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. band — a ring
  23. cell — in biology
  24. mouse — the animal

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