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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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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: degree · fork · safe · content · race · drill · squash · bear

  1. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. degree — temperature
  3. drill — a practice
  4. content — the amount
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. degree — from a university
  8. fork — in a road
  9. content — happy
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. race — the arms race
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. drill — the tool
  15. drill — army training
  16. race — a contest
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. squash — to crush
  19. race — humankind
  20. bear — the animal
  21. degree — an amount
  22. bear — the animal
  23. squash — the sport
  24. safe — a strongbox

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