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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. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — an amount
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. degree — temperature
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. root — of a word
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. bank — of a river
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. track — a song
  10. degree — from a university
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. kick — in football
  13. bank — for money
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. root — of a plant
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. bank — for money
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. track — to keep track
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. root — the cause
  24. track — a path

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