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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  5. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. He was locked up in a ________________.
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — temperature
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. cell — in biology
  5. degree — an amount
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. rash — hasty
  8. cell — a phone
  9. craft — boats
  10. rash — a series
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. degree — from a university
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. cell — in a prison
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. craft — a skill

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