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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
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: pitcher · safe · dip · degree · fall · key · wound · jam

  1. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  7. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  10. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  20. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  23. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. wound — an injury
  3. dip — to sink
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. jam — in traffic
  7. wound — past of 'wind'
  8. key — the most important part
  9. jam — to spread on bread
  10. wound — an injury
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. fall — the season
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. key — in music
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. fall — to drop
  18. fall — to drop
  19. degree — an amount
  20. jam — a tight spot
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. degree — temperature
  23. degree — from a university
  24. key — for a lock

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