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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. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. vault — a safe
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. degree — an amount
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. club — a group
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. degree — from a university
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. degree — temperature
  15. club — for golf
  16. club — for dancing
  17. branch — a division
  18. plane — a tool
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. perch — the fish
  21. drill — army training
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. drill — a practice
  24. branch — of a bank

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