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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.

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: perch · march · file · degree · safe · dip · sharp · club

  1. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  2. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  6. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. file — a tool
  3. dip — to sink
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. file — a line of people
  6. degree — temperature
  7. march — the month
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. file — a document
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. march — music
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. perch — the fish
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. degree — from a university
  19. march — the month
  20. sharp — clever
  21. club — for dancing
  22. degree — an amount
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. club — a group

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