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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. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  21. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. bass — low music
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. board — to get on
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. bass — the fish
  7. cap — a lid
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. suit — in cards
  12. degree — from a university
  13. board — a committee
  14. cap — a hat
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. staff — employees
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. staff — employees
  20. degree — temperature
  21. degree — an amount
  22. cap — of ice
  23. staff — a stick
  24. suit — to fit

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