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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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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: swing · cap · fall · degree · safe · bowl · march · deal

  1. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. march — the month
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. deal — to handle
  5. swing — music
  6. fall — to drop
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. degree — from a university
  9. swing — in golf
  10. degree — temperature
  11. cap — a hat
  12. march — music
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. cap — a lid
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. cap — of ice
  17. degree — an amount
  18. fall — to drop
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. march — the month
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. swing — to play on
  24. deal — a big deal

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