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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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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: pit · safe · deal · degree · bass · game · ruler · swing

  1. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. bass — the fish
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. degree — from a university
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. bass — low music
  9. deal — to handle
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. game — a match
  14. pit — a hole
  15. degree — temperature
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. pit — in a race
  18. degree — an amount
  19. swing — in golf
  20. swing — to play on
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. swing — music
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. game — a kind of play

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