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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: safe · patient · court · bay · stick · degree · bulb · bowl

  1. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  20. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  24. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. bulb — for light
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. degree — an amount
  14. court — of law
  15. bulb — for light
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. court — for sport
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. degree — temperature
  20. degree — from a university
  21. court — of a king
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. safe — a strongbox
  24. bowl — to roll

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