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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: mark · degree · wave · season · safe · pass · object · swing

  1. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. degree — temperature
  5. swing — music
  6. season — in sport
  7. degree — an amount
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. swing — to play on
  10. pass — a permit
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. object — an aim
  14. mark — a grade
  15. swing — in golf
  16. object — a thing
  17. object — to protest
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. season — of the year
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. mark — a trace
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. degree — from a university

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