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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: plane · bass · drill · degree · fine · racket · safe · wind

  1. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. degree — an amount
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. bass — the fish
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. wind — to turn a key
  11. bass — low music
  12. wind — moving air
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. degree — from a university
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. fine — all right
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. drill — army training
  19. wind — moving air
  20. drill — the tool
  21. drill — a practice
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. degree — temperature
  24. plane — a tool

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