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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: safe · bowl · scale · degree · squash · root · lash · row

  1. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  24. Is it ________________ for us to be here?

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. root — of a word
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. degree — from a university
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. degree — temperature
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. root — the cause
  9. degree — an amount
  10. scale — size or range
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. squash — to crush
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. row — to paddle
  16. squash — the sport
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. root — of a plant
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. scale — in music
  22. row — a line
  23. safe — a strongbox
  24. safe — out of danger

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