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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 · suit · cell · safe · rash · bear · bay · court

  1. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  22. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  23. He was locked up in a ________________.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. suit — to fit
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. suit — in cards
  5. degree — temperature
  6. court — of law
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. rash — hasty
  9. degree — an amount
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. court — of a king
  12. bear — the animal
  13. rash — a series
  14. bear — the animal
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. cell — a phone
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. court — for sport
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. cell — in biology
  22. degree — from a university
  23. cell — in a prison
  24. suit — clothes

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