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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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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: racket · degree · roll · stand · bat · foot · bear · safe

  1. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. We're on a ________________ here.
  13. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  14. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  21. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  22. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  23. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  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. safe — out of danger
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. degree — temperature
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. foot — a measure
  8. stand — to bear
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. bat — in an idiom
  11. bear — the animal
  12. roll — on a roll
  13. degree — an amount
  14. bat — for baseball
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. roll — a cake
  19. bear — the animal
  20. bat — the animal
  21. degree — from a university
  22. roll — a list
  23. foot — part of the body
  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