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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: club · mug · suit · root · degree · safe · rush · game

  1. That must've been a ________________.
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. club — for dancing
  4. degree — an amount
  5. mug — a cup
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. game — a match
  8. club — a group
  9. suit — in cards
  10. game — wild animals
  11. root — of a plant
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. mug — to rob
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. suit — clothes
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. degree — temperature
  18. suit — to fit
  19. rush — hurry
  20. mug — a face
  21. root — the cause
  22. degree — from a university
  23. club — for golf
  24. root — of a word

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