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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.

Make a worksheet

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: bass · track · tear · safe · chair · net · degree · suit

  1. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  10. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  19. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  23. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. track — a song
  3. track — a path
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. suit — to fit
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. net — for catching
  9. chair — a professorship
  10. chair — a leader
  11. suit — clothes
  12. net — in sport
  13. degree — temperature
  14. track — to keep track
  15. bass — the fish
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. bass — low music
  18. degree — from a university
  19. tear — to rip
  20. net — after costs
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. degree — an amount
  23. tear — from crying
  24. suit — in cards

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