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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 120 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. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  3. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. degree — from a university
  3. degree — an amount
  4. board — to get on
  5. row — to paddle
  6. pop — music
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. board — a committee
  9. swing — music
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. pop — to visit
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. swing — in golf
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. swing — to play on
  17. degree — temperature
  18. pop — soda
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. row — a line
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. hide — to keep secret

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