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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 120 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. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  3. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  23. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. bat — in an idiom
  3. degree — from a university
  4. vault — a safe
  5. object — a thing
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. object — an aim
  9. degree — an amount
  10. chip — to eat
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. chip — for betting
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. degree — temperature
  17. rule — a law
  18. rule — government
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. bat — the animal
  23. bat — for baseball
  24. object — to protest

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