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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.

Make a worksheet

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
YesNo
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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 · bore · safe · land · bark · fine · bass · bay

  1. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  9. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. bass — the fish
  5. fine — high quality
  6. bore — to drill
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. bark — to shout
  9. degree — an amount
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. degree — from a university
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. degree — temperature
  16. bass — low music
  17. land — to come down
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. land — a country
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. fine — all right
  22. bore — to tire
  23. land — ground
  24. safe — out of danger

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