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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. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  2. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  15. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  20. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. degree — an amount
  3. track — a path
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. degree — temperature
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. key — in music
  10. track — a song
  11. court — of law
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. court — for sport
  14. wound — past of 'wind'
  15. degree — from a university
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. key — for a lock
  18. court — of a king
  19. shower — to wash
  20. wound — an injury
  21. key — the most important part
  22. wound — an injury
  23. track — to keep track
  24. patient — calm and waiting

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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