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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: squash · bulb · kick · safe · saw · mark · degree · swing

  1. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  2. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — an amount
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. squash — the sport
  5. saw — the tool
  6. bulb — for light
  7. mark — a trace
  8. swing — music
  9. degree — from a university
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. degree — temperature
  12. mark — a grade
  13. swing — to play on
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. swing — in golf
  18. squash — to crush
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. bulb — for light
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. kick — in football
  24. saw — the 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