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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 · fine · mate · rush · deal · degree · sharp · pitch

  1. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  12. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. sharp — clever
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. fine — high quality
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. pitch — completely
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. degree — an amount
  12. degree — temperature
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. mate — a friend
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. rush — hurry
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. mate — to breed
  19. mate — a partner
  20. fine — all right
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. degree — from a university
  24. deal — to handle

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