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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: safe · bat · suit · club · degree · wind · scale · pitcher

  1. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  5. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  6. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  18. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  21. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  22. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. suit — clothes
  3. scale — size or range
  4. degree — temperature
  5. bat — in an idiom
  6. degree — from a university
  7. club — for golf
  8. club — a group
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. scale — in music
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. suit — to fit
  17. wind — to turn a key
  18. bat — for baseball
  19. club — for dancing
  20. wind — moving air
  21. bat — the animal
  22. degree — an amount
  23. suit — in cards
  24. wind — moving air

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