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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: ball · degree · pound · safe · ruler · band · squash · court

  1. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — an amount
  2. ball — a great time
  3. degree — temperature
  4. court — of law
  5. band — a ring
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. court — of a king
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. band — a music group
  10. squash — the sport
  11. squash — to crush
  12. pound — a weight
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. ball — a dance
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. court — for sport
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. degree — from a university
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. safe — a strongbox

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