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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: safe · fall · coach · degree · nail · stick · chip · net

  1. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — temperature
  2. net — for catching
  3. degree — an amount
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. chip — for betting
  6. net — in sport
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. net — after costs
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. fall — the season
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. fall — to drop
  16. chip — to eat
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. fall — to drop
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. degree — from a university
  24. nail — on a finger

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