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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 · rash · file · toast · track · degree · racket · stick

  1. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  10. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  16. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  22. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. degree — temperature
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. rash — hasty
  8. track — a path
  9. file — a tool
  10. toast — a drink to someone
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. degree — from a university
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. track — a song
  15. file — a document
  16. toast — the most admired
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. track — to keep track
  19. toast — bread
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. degree — an amount
  22. file — a line of people
  23. rash — a series
  24. safe — out of danger

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