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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 116 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. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  16. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  24. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. bat — the animal
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. fine — all right
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. bat — in an idiom
  7. staff — employees
  8. degree — from a university
  9. bank — of a river
  10. court — of a king
  11. bank — for money
  12. staff — a stick
  13. race — a contest
  14. staff — employees
  15. bat — for baseball
  16. degree — temperature
  17. court — of law
  18. fine — high quality
  19. race — the arms race
  20. bank — for money
  21. degree — an amount
  22. court — for sport
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. race — humankind

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