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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 · wind · fine · safe · scale · mate · degree · pitcher

  1. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  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. wind — moving air
  2. fine — all right
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. mate — to breed
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. fine — high quality
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. mate — a friend
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. wind — to turn a key
  14. dip — to sink
  15. scale — size or range
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. mate — a partner
  19. degree — an amount
  20. scale — in music
  21. wind — moving air
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. degree — from a university
  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