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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. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. He was locked up in a ________________.
  15. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  19. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — temperature
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. degree — from a university
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. fork — in a road
  7. track — a song
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. track — a path
  11. track — to keep track
  12. ball — a dance
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. cell — in a prison
  15. cell — a phone
  16. sharp — clever
  17. ball — a great time
  18. cell — in biology
  19. degree — an amount
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. sharp — exactly

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