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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: row · roll · degree · chair · safe · ball

  1. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  12. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  13. We're on a ________________ here.
  14. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — to sit on
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. degree — an amount
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. chair — a leader
  7. row — to paddle
  8. roll — a list
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. ball — a dance
  11. degree — from a university
  12. degree — temperature
  13. roll — on a roll
  14. chair — a professorship
  15. row — a line
  16. roll — a cake
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. ball — a great time

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