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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. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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. face — part of the head
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. degree — from a university
  9. key — the most important part
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. face — to confront
  12. key — for a lock
  13. row — a line
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. row — to paddle
  16. degree — an amount
  17. bark — to shout
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. stand — to bear
  21. key — in music
  22. row — a quarrel
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  24. face — to point toward

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