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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. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. degree — temperature
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. key — the most important part
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. degree — an amount
  9. key — for a lock
  10. deal — to handle
  11. craft — boats
  12. squash — the sport
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. craft — a skill
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. degree — from a university
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. squash — to crush
  20. key — in music
  21. rash — a series
  22. rash — hasty
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. deal — an agreement

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