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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: dip · degree · safe · net · track · spell · rest · scale

  1. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  2. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. degree — an amount
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. scale — in music
  5. net — in sport
  6. scale — size or range
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. net — after costs
  9. degree — temperature
  10. track — a path
  11. spell — a short time
  12. spell — letters
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. net — for catching
  15. track — to keep track
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. degree — from a university
  19. track — a song
  20. dip — to sink
  21. rest — what's left
  22. rest — a break
  23. safe — a strongbox
  24. rest — what's left

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