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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 116 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: degree · mark · season · court · squash · pit · bat · safe

  1. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  4. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. squash — the sport
  3. bat — in an idiom
  4. degree — an amount
  5. court — for sport
  6. degree — temperature
  7. mark — a grade
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. court — of a king
  10. pit — a hole
  11. degree — from a university
  12. season — in sport
  13. bat — for baseball
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. bat — the animal
  17. squash — to crush
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. season — of the year
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. pit — in a race
  24. court — of law

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