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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. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  24. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. pit — a hole
  5. rest — what's left
  6. degree — from a university
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. pit — in a race
  12. wake — a trail
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. court — of a king
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. rest — what's left
  17. degree — an amount
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. rest — a break
  21. court — for sport
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. court — of law
  24. degree — temperature

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