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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.

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: safe · fall · bass · field · shower · root · game · degree

  1. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  15. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  16. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. We took cover from the thunder ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — temperature
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. shower — to wash
  4. game — a match
  5. fall — to drop
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. field — for sport
  8. root — of a plant
  9. degree — an amount
  10. root — the cause
  11. game — wild animals
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. fall — to drop
  14. field — a subject
  15. degree — from a university
  16. shower — a meteor shower
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. field — farmland
  19. bass — low music
  20. root — of a word
  21. fall — the season
  22. game — a kind of play
  23. bass — the fish
  24. shower — rain

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