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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: safe · tube · ball · rush · rock · fan · club · degree

  1. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — an amount
  2. ball — a dance
  3. club — for golf
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. club — for dancing
  7. degree — from a university
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. degree — temperature
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. rush — hurry
  14. rock — a stone
  15. tube — a container
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. club — a group
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. ball — a great time
  22. tube — the underground
  23. rock — music
  24. rock — to move gently

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