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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. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  17. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. vault — a safe
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. tube — the underground
  5. chip — for betting
  6. band — a ring
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. tube — a container
  9. band — a music group
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. straw — to clutch at straws
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. current — happening now
  15. chip — to eat
  16. degree — an amount
  17. degree — from a university
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. current — of water
  20. current — electric
  21. degree — temperature
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. vault — an arched ceiling

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