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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: pound · ball · game · land · shower · pass · safe · degree

  1. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  2. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  12. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  13. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. When are we going to ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. land — ground
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. shower — to wash
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. degree — an amount
  8. land — a country
  9. degree — temperature
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. pound — a weight
  12. pound — to hit hard
  13. degree — from a university
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. pass — a permit
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. shower — rain
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. game — a match
  21. ball — a dance
  22. game — wild animals
  23. ball — a great time
  24. land — to come down

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