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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.

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 · land · bass · rock · pit · cue · foot · safe

  1. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. When are we going to ________________?
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. degree — an amount
  3. cue — for pool
  4. cue — a signal
  5. rock — music
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. degree — temperature
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. pit — in a race
  10. land — ground
  11. bass — low music
  12. bass — the fish
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. land — a country
  16. land — to come down
  17. foot — a measure
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. rock — a stone
  20. degree — from a university
  21. cue — a hint
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. safe — a strongbox

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