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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 120 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. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  5. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  6. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. firm — decided
  3. present — there
  4. kid — child
  5. row — a line
  6. degree — from a university
  7. firm — steady
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. degree — temperature
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. row — to paddle
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  17. present — a gift
  18. degree — an amount
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. kid — to tease
  21. mark — a trace
  22. present — the time now
  23. firm — a company
  24. cabinet — ministers

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