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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. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  2. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  12. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  16. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — temperature
  2. degree — an amount
  3. fine — high quality
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. capital — a city
  6. stand — to bear
  7. bat — the animal
  8. ball — a great time
  9. degree — from a university
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. capital — money
  12. bat — for baseball
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. capital — a big letter
  16. bat — in an idiom
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. ball — a dance
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. fine — all right
  24. safe — out of danger

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