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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 · firm · bay · snap · present · club · safe · fork

  1. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. degree — temperature
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. present — there
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. club — for golf
  9. snap — to click
  10. present — the time now
  11. firm — decided
  12. club — for dancing
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. degree — from a university
  16. club — a group
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. degree — an amount
  20. firm — steady
  21. fork — in a road
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. firm — a company
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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