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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. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  3. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. degree — temperature
  3. degree — an amount
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. key — the most important part
  7. mug — a cup
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. key — for a lock
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. game — wild animals
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. game — a match
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. key — in music
  16. degree — from a university
  17. wake — a trail
  18. bear — the animal
  19. mug — a face
  20. club — for dancing
  21. club — for golf
  22. mug — to rob
  23. club — a group
  24. bear — the animal

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