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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: key · wave · bound · cap · game · field · safe · degree

  1. That was a fun ________________.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  11. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  12. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. key — in music
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. field — a subject
  8. cap — a hat
  9. cap — a lid
  10. degree — from a university
  11. field — for sport
  12. degree — temperature
  13. bound — obliged
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. bound — tied together
  16. bound — certain
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. game — wild animals
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. cap — of ice
  21. key — for a lock
  22. degree — an amount
  23. key — the most important part
  24. field — farmland

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