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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: foot · suit · safe · kid · track · hide · degree · bound

  1. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  3. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. degree — an amount
  3. kid — child
  4. track — to keep track
  5. bound — certain
  6. degree — from a university
  7. foot — a measure
  8. suit — clothes
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. degree — temperature
  11. bound — obliged
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. kid — to tease
  16. suit — in cards
  17. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. bound — tied together
  20. foot — part of the body
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. track — a path
  23. track — a song
  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