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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. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  6. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  7. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  13. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. field — for sport
  6. field — farmland
  7. degree — temperature
  8. rest — what's left
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. mark — a grade
  11. rest — what's left
  12. degree — from a university
  13. field — a subject
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. bulb — for light
  16. degree — an amount
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. craft — boats
  20. rest — a break
  21. bulb — for light
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. mark — a trace
  24. craft — a skill

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