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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: can · fork · degree · ground · safe · mark · straw · kick

  1. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. degree — from a university
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. kick — in football
  5. ground — crushed
  6. ground — a position
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. ground — the earth
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. can — a tin
  12. degree — an amount
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. mark — a trace
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. mark — a grade
  20. can — a tin
  21. degree — temperature
  22. fork — in a road
  23. fork — to eat with
  24. can — to be able to

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