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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: rule · net · degree · fine · swing · saw · game · safe

  1. That was a fun ________________.
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  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. game — a match
  2. net — for catching
  3. fine — all right
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. fine — high quality
  6. saw — the tool
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. rule — a law
  9. swing — in golf
  10. degree — an amount
  11. net — after costs
  12. degree — from a university
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. degree — temperature
  17. game — wild animals
  18. saw — the tool
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. net — in sport
  21. rule — government
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. swing — to play on
  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