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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: game · fan · degree · mate · mouse · safe · foot · coach

  1. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — an amount
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. mate — to breed
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. foot — a measure
  9. mate — a partner
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. mate — a friend
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. degree — temperature
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. game — a match
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. game — wild animals
  24. degree — from a university

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