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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: bass · degree · court · rock · saw · safe · swing · mug

  1. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  15. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. degree — an amount
  3. mug — a cup
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. court — of law
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. rock — a stone
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. bass — the fish
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. swing — to play on
  13. mug — to rob
  14. degree — temperature
  15. degree — from a university
  16. court — for sport
  17. saw — the tool
  18. court — of a king
  19. rock — music
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. swing — music
  22. bass — low music
  23. swing — in golf
  24. mug — a face

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