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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. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  2. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?

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

Answer key

  1. degree — from a university
  2. object — to protest
  3. bark — to shout
  4. rule — a law
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. degree — temperature
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. rule — government
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. object — a thing
  15. vault — a safe
  16. court — of law
  17. object — an aim
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. court — for sport
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. court — of a king
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. degree — an amount

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