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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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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: track · bound · kick · pitch · game · mark · safe · degree

  1. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  22. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. mark — a grade
  3. degree — from a university
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. track — a path
  6. pitch — completely
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. track — a song
  10. mark — a trace
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. bound — tied together
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. bound — certain
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. kick — in football
  19. track — to keep track
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. degree — an amount
  22. degree — temperature
  23. game — a match
  24. game — wild animals

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