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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: sharp · cell · safe · mark · degree · tube · key · cap

  1. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  6. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. He was locked up in a ________________.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — an amount
  2. key — for a lock
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. cell — a phone
  6. cell — in biology
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. mark — a grade
  10. cap — a lid
  11. cap — of ice
  12. degree — temperature
  13. tube — a container
  14. key — the most important part
  15. mark — a trace
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. cell — in a prison
  19. tube — the underground
  20. sharp — clever
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. cap — a hat
  23. key — in music
  24. degree — from a university

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