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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.

Make a worksheet

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: band · arm · bulb · court · current · degree · temple · safe

  1. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. When was this ________________ built?
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. bulb — for light
  8. degree — an amount
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. bulb — for light
  12. band — a music group
  13. band — a ring
  14. current — happening now
  15. court — for sport
  16. current — of water
  17. degree — temperature
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. court — of law
  21. court — of a king
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. current — electric
  24. degree — from a university

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