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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 116 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: kid · race · safe · pound · mug · board · degree · bay

  1. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  4. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  5. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  11. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  12. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  13. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  23. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  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. board — to get on
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. degree — temperature
  4. race — a contest
  5. kid — to tease
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. board — a committee
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. mug — a face
  10. race — the arms race
  11. pound — a weight
  12. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  13. race — humankind
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. pound — to hit hard
  18. mug — a cup
  19. mug — to rob
  20. pound — for dogs
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. kid — child
  23. degree — an amount
  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