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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 116 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 my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  5. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  21. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — temperature
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. bank — of a river
  4. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  5. degree — an amount
  6. club — for golf
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. vault — a safe
  11. object — an aim
  12. kid — child
  13. club — a group
  14. object — a thing
  15. object — to protest
  16. club — for dancing
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. bank — for money
  19. wake — a trail
  20. kid — to tease
  21. degree — from a university
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. bank — for money
  24. fork — in a road

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