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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 120 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: ground · degree · trunk · deal · swing · ball · safe · cap

  1. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. ball — a great time
  3. ground — crushed
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. swing — music
  6. ground — the earth
  7. ground — a position
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. cap — of ice
  12. cap — a hat
  13. cap — a lid
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. deal — to handle
  16. degree — an amount
  17. ball — a dance
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. swing — to play on
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. degree — from a university
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. degree — temperature

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