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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. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. He was locked up in a ________________.
  12. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  15. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — a phone
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. degree — from a university
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. pass — a permit
  7. suit — to fit
  8. foot — a measure
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. suit — in cards
  11. cell — in a prison
  12. march — the month
  13. mark — a trace
  14. cell — in biology
  15. degree — temperature
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. suit — clothes
  18. degree — an amount
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. march — the month
  22. march — music
  23. mark — a grade
  24. pass — to succeed

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