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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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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: pit · shower · coach · degree · race · squash · stick · safe

  1. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  7. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. Is it ________________ for us to be here?

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. shower — rain
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. degree — temperature
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. degree — from a university
  7. degree — an amount
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. race — the arms race
  12. race — humankind
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. shower — to wash
  17. race — a contest
  18. pit — in a race
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. squash — the sport
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. pit — a hole
  24. safe — out of danger

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