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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. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. We're on a ________________ here.
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  24. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. toast — the most admired
  3. vault — a safe
  4. shower — rain
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. degree — an amount
  8. scale — size or range
  9. mark — a trace
  10. degree — from a university
  11. mark — a grade
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. roll — a list
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. roll — on a roll
  16. shower — to wash
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. toast — bread
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. degree — temperature
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. toast — a drink to someone
  24. roll — a cake

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