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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 116 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.

Words on the sheet
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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: coach · degree · cue · lean · object · safe · rock · field

  1. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  3. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  6. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  13. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. degree — temperature
  3. degree — from a university
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. field — a subject
  6. field — farmland
  7. rock — a stone
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. cue — a signal
  11. cue — a hint
  12. field — for sport
  13. degree — an amount
  14. object — a thing
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. lean — to bend
  17. lean — thin
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. cue — for pool
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. rock — music
  24. object — an aim

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