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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.

Make a worksheet

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: safe · degree · drill · press · pitcher · content · cabinet · bear

  1. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. press — to push
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. press — a publisher
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. content — the amount
  8. drill — army training
  9. degree — temperature
  10. press — newspapers
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. content — videos and posts
  13. bear — the animal
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. bear — the animal
  17. degree — an amount
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. degree — from a university
  20. drill — a practice
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. content — happy
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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