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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 · field · race · temple · stick · pass · safe · can

  1. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  3. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  14. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  15. When was this ________________ built?
  16. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  17. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  21. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. race — humankind
  3. degree — an amount
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. can — to be able to
  6. pass — a permit
  7. degree — from a university
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. can — a tin
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. race — a contest
  14. field — farmland
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. degree — temperature
  17. field — for sport
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. race — the arms race
  21. field — a subject
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. can — a tin

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