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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: dip · degree · date · bass · safe · chest · suit · coach

  1. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  6. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  7. Have you settled on a ________________?
  8. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  9. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  10. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. chest — of your body
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. chest — of your body
  6. date — the fruit
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. degree — temperature
  9. degree — an amount
  10. degree — from a university
  11. dip — to sink
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. bass — the fish
  14. suit — to fit
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. bass — low music
  17. chest — a box
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. suit — clothes
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. date — on the calendar

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