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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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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: swing · mouse · dip · stock · safe · degree · net · ground

  1. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — temperature
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. degree — from a university
  4. net — for catching
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. net — after costs
  7. stock — goods
  8. dip — to sink
  9. net — in sport
  10. degree — an amount
  11. stock — shares
  12. swing — in golf
  13. ground — the earth
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. swing — to play on
  16. ground — a position
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. ground — crushed
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. swing — music

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