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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.

Words on the sheet
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: pit · can · degree · leaves · net · mark · safe · club

  1. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. mark — a trace
  3. degree — from a university
  4. club — a group
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. degree — an amount
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. net — after costs
  9. net — in sport
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. pit — a hole
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. degree — temperature
  15. net — for catching
  16. pit — in a race
  17. can — a tin
  18. can — to be able to
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. can — a tin
  21. mark — a grade
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. club — for dancing
  24. club — for golf

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