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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: straw · degree · safe · rule · root · leaves · ball · squash

  1. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  10. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — temperature
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. root — of a plant
  4. rule — government
  5. rule — a law
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. root — the cause
  9. degree — from a university
  10. degree — an amount
  11. ball — a dance
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. squash — to crush
  14. ball — a great time
  15. root — of a word
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. squash — the sport
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. straw — to clutch at straws

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