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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. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  4. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. He was locked up in a ________________.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  23. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. degree — from a university
  4. cell — in biology
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. court — of a king
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. cell — in a prison
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. deal — to handle
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. court — for sport
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. court — of law
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. degree — temperature
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. cell — a phone
  23. degree — an amount
  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