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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: tube · safe · deal · degree · court · branch · date · cap

  1. Have you settled on a ________________?
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  15. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. court — of law
  9. court — of a king
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. degree — temperature
  12. tube — a container
  13. branch — a division
  14. date — the fruit
  15. degree — an amount
  16. deal — to handle
  17. cap — a lid
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. cap — a hat
  21. court — for sport
  22. tube — the underground
  23. degree — from a university
  24. cap — of ice

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