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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 · coach · ground · degree · wake · racket · game · rock

  1. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. ground — a position
  8. game — wild animals
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. wake — a trail
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. rock — a stone
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. degree — temperature
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. rock — music
  20. degree — from a university
  21. game — a match
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. ground — crushed
  24. degree — an amount

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