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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: bound · safe · fall · mug · degree · board · bat · net

  1. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  19. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  24. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — for baseball
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. mug — a face
  4. board — to get on
  5. net — for catching
  6. fall — to drop
  7. bat — the animal
  8. board — a committee
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. mug — a cup
  11. net — in sport
  12. mug — to rob
  13. degree — from a university
  14. bound — certain
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. net — after costs
  18. bat — in an idiom
  19. degree — temperature
  20. bound — obliged
  21. degree — an amount
  22. bound — tied together
  23. fall — the season
  24. fall — to drop

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