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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. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  10. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  15. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  16. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — temperature
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. staff — a stick
  6. staff — employees
  7. suit — to fit
  8. root — the cause
  9. shower — a meteor shower
  10. bat — in an idiom
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. suit — in cards
  13. root — of a plant
  14. degree — from a university
  15. shower — rain
  16. bat — the animal
  17. shower — to wash
  18. root — of a word
  19. staff — employees
  20. degree — an amount
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. suit — clothes
  24. bat — for baseball

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