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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: ground · bulb · kick · ball · degree · safe · game · fan

  1. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  4. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  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. kick — a thrill
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. degree — temperature
  4. degree — from a university
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. ground — the earth
  9. bulb — for light
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. ground — crushed
  13. ground — a position
  14. ball — a great time
  15. degree — an amount
  16. bulb — for light
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. game — a match
  19. kick — in football
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. ball — a dance
  23. game — a kind of play
  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