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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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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: bass · bear · pitcher · degree · safe · current · arm · firm

  1. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. My father caught me by the ________________.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. degree — from a university
  5. current — of water
  6. firm — decided
  7. bass — low music
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. firm — steady
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. degree — temperature
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. current — electric
  15. bear — the animal
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. bass — the fish
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. firm — a company
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. bear — the animal
  24. degree — an amount

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