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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 116 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. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. Is it ________________ for us to be here?

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. land — ground
  3. degree — temperature
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. land — to come down
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. land — a country
  8. degree — from a university
  9. saw — the tool
  10. pop — to visit
  11. degree — an amount
  12. bass — low music
  13. saw — the tool
  14. pop — music
  15. bass — the fish
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. pop — soda
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. safe — out of danger

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