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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. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  7. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. ground — the earth
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. foot — a measure
  5. stock — goods
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. degree — an amount
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. fork — in a road
  15. degree — temperature
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. degree — from a university
  18. ground — a position
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. temple — side of the head
  21. ground — crushed
  22. stock — shares
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. safe — a strongbox

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