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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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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: bore · deal · safe · march · race · stick · degree · fork

  1. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  5. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — temperature
  2. bore — to drill
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. march — the month
  5. march — music
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. fork — in a road
  9. race — humankind
  10. march — the month
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. race — the arms race
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. deal — to handle
  15. bore — to tire
  16. degree — from a university
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. degree — an amount
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. race — a contest
  24. fork — a garden tool

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