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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
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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: net · bat · cap · face · safe · firm · board · degree

  1. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  8. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. net — for catching
  3. firm — a company
  4. face — to confront
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. cap — of ice
  7. bat — the animal
  8. degree — an amount
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. degree — temperature
  11. cap — a hat
  12. firm — steady
  13. cap — a lid
  14. net — in sport
  15. face — to point toward
  16. board — to get on
  17. board — a committee
  18. firm — decided
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. face — part of the head
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. bat — for baseball
  23. net — after costs
  24. degree — from a university

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