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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. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  4. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. degree — temperature
  4. degree — an amount
  5. board — a committee
  6. field — farmland
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. ball — a great time
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. degree — from a university
  11. wax — to grow
  12. field — for sport
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. ball — a dance
  15. field — a subject
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. board — to get on
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. wax — for sculpting

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