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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. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. degree — an amount
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. degree — from a university
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. sharp — clever
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. pitch — completely
  11. cue — for pool
  12. object — an aim
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. degree — temperature
  16. cue — a hint
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. object — a thing
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. cue — a signal
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. object — to protest
  24. sharp — exactly

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