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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 · game · cabinet · object · track · degree · present · spell

  1. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — from a university
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. track — to keep track
  4. track — a song
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. object — to protest
  9. present — a gift
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. degree — an amount
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. spell — a short time
  14. game — wild animals
  15. game — a match
  16. track — a path
  17. spell — letters
  18. spell — magic
  19. object — a thing
  20. present — there
  21. degree — temperature
  22. present — the time now
  23. object — an aim
  24. game — a kind of play

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