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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. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  2. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. degree — an amount
  2. degree — from a university
  3. present — there
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. degree — temperature
  9. present — a gift
  10. saw — the tool
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. present — the time now
  16. saw — the tool
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. sharp — clever

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