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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: degree · bass · shower · fan · root · staff · suit · safe

  1. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  16. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  17. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. staff — employees
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. degree — temperature
  5. suit — clothes
  6. suit — in cards
  7. root — of a plant
  8. suit — to fit
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. staff — employees
  11. bass — the fish
  12. bass — low music
  13. root — the cause
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. shower — to wash
  16. degree — an amount
  17. degree — from a university
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. root — of a word
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. shower — a meteor shower
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. shower — rain
  24. staff — a stick

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