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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. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — temperature
  2. bore — to drill
  3. ball — a dance
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. degree — an amount
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  10. sharp — clever
  11. ball — a great time
  12. bore — to tire
  13. kid — to tease
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. kid — child
  16. board — to get on
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. degree — from a university
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. board — a committee
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. trunk — of a car

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