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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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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. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  2. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — from a university
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. current — of water
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. band — a music group
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. cap — a hat
  11. current — electric
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. cap — a lid
  14. vault — a safe
  15. pit — in a race
  16. degree — temperature
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. current — happening now
  19. pit — a hole
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. degree — an amount
  22. band — a ring
  23. cap — of ice
  24. bay — a horse colour

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