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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 116 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. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  14. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  15. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  24. Is it ________________ for us to be here?

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. kid — child
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. degree — temperature
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. ball — a great time
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. ball — a dance
  9. kid — to tease
  10. bear — the animal
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. degree — from a university
  14. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  15. degree — an amount
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. game — wild animals
  18. sharp — clever
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. game — a match
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. safe — a strongbox
  24. safe — out of danger

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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