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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: safe · row · racket · jam · squash · rush · charge · degree

  1. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  5. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  11. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  24. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. charge — electricity
  4. degree — an amount
  5. jam — a tight spot
  6. row — to paddle
  7. jam — to spread on bread
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. degree — from a university
  11. jam — in traffic
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. charge — a price
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. squash — to crush
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. charge — in control
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. row — a line
  21. squash — the sport
  22. rush — hurry
  23. safe — a strongbox
  24. degree — temperature

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