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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 116 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: degree · pitcher · field · safe · stick · fine · swing · cap

  1. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  20. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. degree — an amount
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. field — a subject
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. cap — a hat
  10. swing — music
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. field — for sport
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. swing — in golf
  15. cap — a lid
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. fine — high quality
  18. swing — to play on
  19. field — farmland
  20. degree — temperature
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. degree — from a university
  23. fine — all right
  24. cap — of ice

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