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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: bass · degree · cabinet · chair · safe · current · wind · calf

  1. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  2. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  3. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  15. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — temperature
  2. chair — a leader
  3. wind — moving air
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. degree — from a university
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. current — electric
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. wind — moving air
  11. current — of water
  12. current — happening now
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. chair — to sit on
  15. degree — an amount
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. wind — to turn a key
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. chair — a professorship
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. bass — low music
  24. bass — the fish

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