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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 120 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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. bass — the fish
  7. degree — an amount
  8. root — the cause
  9. saw — the tool
  10. march — music
  11. root — of a plant
  12. root — of a word
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. degree — from a university
  15. mate — a partner
  16. mate — a friend
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. degree — temperature
  19. saw — the tool
  20. march — the month
  21. bass — low music
  22. mate — to breed
  23. march — the month
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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