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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. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  19. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. bass — the fish
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. tube — a container
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. chair — a leader
  8. vault — a safe
  9. degree — an amount
  10. craft — a skill
  11. chip — to eat
  12. chair — a professorship
  13. rule — a law
  14. chair — to sit on
  15. craft — boats
  16. tube — the underground
  17. rule — government
  18. degree — from a university
  19. degree — temperature
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. chip — for betting
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. bass — low music
  24. bass — the instrument

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