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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: safe · firm · degree · deal · present · object

  1. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. present — there
  3. degree — from a university
  4. firm — steady
  5. degree — an amount
  6. deal — to handle
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. firm — decided
  11. object — an aim
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. present — a gift
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. degree — temperature
  16. object — to protest
  17. present — the time now
  18. object — a thing

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