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

  1. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  2. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  5. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  6. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  14. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. degree — from a university
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. dip — to sink
  4. bat — in an idiom
  5. degree — an amount
  6. bat — the animal
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. can — a tin
  10. can — a tin
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. degree — temperature
  14. bat — for baseball
  15. sharp — clever
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. bass — the fish
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. bass — low music
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. can — to be able to
  24. fan — a supporter

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