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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: degree · scale · hand · safe · mug · mate · court · spell

  1. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  9. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  20. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. spell — a short time
  3. hand — help
  4. mate — a friend
  5. spell — letters
  6. mug — a cup
  7. scale — size or range
  8. degree — from a university
  9. degree — temperature
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. spell — magic
  12. mug — a face
  13. court — of law
  14. mate — to breed
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. court — for sport
  19. court — of a king
  20. degree — an amount
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. mug — to rob
  23. scale — in music
  24. mate — a partner

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