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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: pitcher · fall · pound · swing · degree · ruler · fine · safe

  1. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  22. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  23. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. fine — all right
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. degree — from a university
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. fall — to drop
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. degree — an amount
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. swing — to play on
  15. swing — music
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. degree — temperature
  19. fine — high quality
  20. swing — in golf
  21. pound — to hit hard
  22. pound — a weight
  23. fall — to drop
  24. ruler — for measuring

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