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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 116 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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  24. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. vault — a safe
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. degree — temperature
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. degree — from a university
  7. sharp — clever
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. chip — to eat
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. fork — in a road
  16. present — a gift
  17. present — the time now
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. chip — for betting
  20. present — there
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. fork — to eat with
  24. degree — an amount

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