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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 116 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: staff · racket · track · cabinet · degree · mark · safe · field

  1. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  15. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  23. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. mark — a grade
  5. degree — from a university
  6. track — a path
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. field — a subject
  10. mark — a trace
  11. staff — employees
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. staff — employees
  14. degree — temperature
  15. field — for sport
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. staff — a stick
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. track — to keep track
  20. track — a song
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. degree — an amount
  23. field — farmland
  24. mark — to pay attention

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