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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: staff · degree · march · straw · safe · bass · temple · bay

  1. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  2. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  23. When was this ________________ built?
  24. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a part of the sea
  2. degree — from a university
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. staff — a stick
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. march — music
  7. bass — the fish
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. bass — low music
  10. staff — employees
  11. march — the month
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. march — the month
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. staff — employees
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. degree — temperature
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. degree — an amount

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