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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.

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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. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  16. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — from a university
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. court — of law
  4. object — an aim
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. can — a tin
  7. can — a tin
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. object — to protest
  12. cue — a hint
  13. court — of a king
  14. court — for sport
  15. degree — an amount
  16. degree — temperature
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. can — to be able to
  20. cue — for pool
  21. object — a thing
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. cue — a signal
  24. vault — a safe

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