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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 120 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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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: bat · bowl · cap · march · key · safe · perch · degree

  1. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  4. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  19. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  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. march — music
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. bat — the animal
  4. degree — from a university
  5. key — in music
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. perch — the fish
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. march — the month
  10. bat — in an idiom
  11. cap — a hat
  12. cap — of ice
  13. march — the month
  14. key — the most important part
  15. cap — a lid
  16. degree — an amount
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. bat — for baseball
  19. bowl — to roll
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. key — for a lock
  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