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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 120 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: fine · pitch · bat · cap · safe · degree · squash · root

  1. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  2. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  8. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  9. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. bat — in an idiom
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. fine — high quality
  7. bat — the animal
  8. degree — from a university
  9. degree — an amount
  10. cap — a hat
  11. cap — a lid
  12. degree — temperature
  13. squash — the sport
  14. root — the cause
  15. cap — of ice
  16. root — of a word
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. bat — for baseball
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. squash — to crush
  21. root — of a plant
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. fine — all right
  24. pitch — completely

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