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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. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  4. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  9. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. We're on a ________________ here.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. board — to get on
  3. roll — a list
  4. degree — temperature
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. degree — an amount
  7. march — the month
  8. wind — moving air
  9. wind — moving air
  10. object — an aim
  11. roll — on a roll
  12. rush — hurry
  13. object — a thing
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. board — a committee
  16. wind — to turn a key
  17. march — music
  18. roll — a cake
  19. march — the month
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. degree — from a university
  23. object — to protest
  24. rush — a thrill

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