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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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468
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: deal · chip · jam · calf · degree · sharp · safe · patient

  1. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  11. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — to spread on bread
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. degree — temperature
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. deal — to handle
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. jam — a tight spot
  11. degree — an amount
  12. sharp — clever
  13. chip — for betting
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. chip — to eat
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. degree — from a university
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. jam — in traffic
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. sharp — with an edge

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