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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. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. degree — temperature
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. track — a path
  8. stand — to bear
  9. track — to keep track
  10. key — for a lock
  11. key — the most important part
  12. degree — from a university
  13. track — a song
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. capital — money
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. degree — an amount
  18. key — in music
  19. capital — a city
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. capital — a big letter
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. calf — of the leg

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