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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: degree · court · tube · firm · fine · face · rash · safe

  1. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. degree — an amount
  3. rash — a series
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. fine — all right
  6. fine — high quality
  7. rash — hasty
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. tube — a container
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. degree — from a university
  12. tube — the underground
  13. firm — decided
  14. court — of a king
  15. court — for sport
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. face — to point toward
  18. face — part of the head
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. face — to confront
  21. court — of law
  22. firm — steady
  23. firm — a company
  24. degree — temperature

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