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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.

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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: bear · key · cap · kick · safe · squash · ground · degree

  1. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. bear — the animal
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. degree — temperature
  9. key — for a lock
  10. squash — the sport
  11. key — in music
  12. kick — in football
  13. cap — a lid
  14. cap — of ice
  15. degree — an amount
  16. key — the most important part
  17. degree — from a university
  18. cap — a hat
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. bear — the animal
  21. squash — to crush
  22. ground — crushed
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. ground — a position

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