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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. The water is too ________________.
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  23. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  24. Is it ________________ for us to be here?

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

Answer key

  1. cold — not warm
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. degree — from a university
  4. track — a path
  5. key — for a lock
  6. track — a song
  7. bound — tied together
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. degree — an amount
  10. bound — obliged
  11. key — the most important part
  12. bound — certain
  13. can — to be able to
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. cold — an illness
  16. key — in music
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. track — to keep track
  20. can — a tin
  21. can — a tin
  22. cold — the Cold War
  23. degree — temperature
  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