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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. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  22. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  23. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  24. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. bear — the animal
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. foot — a measure
  10. kid — child
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. bear — the animal
  13. deal — to handle
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  16. rule — government
  17. rule — a law
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. degree — from a university
  22. degree — an amount
  23. kid — to tease
  24. degree — temperature

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