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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: safe · mouse · club · bat · ruler · degree

  1. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  17. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. club — a group
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. club — for dancing
  6. degree — temperature
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. bat — for baseball
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. degree — an amount
  12. club — for golf
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. bat — the animal
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. bat — in an idiom
  17. degree — from a university
  18. mouse — the animal

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