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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. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  22. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — temperature
  2. vault — a safe
  3. tube — the underground
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. scale — in music
  6. tube — a container
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. current — electric
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. current — of water
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. mine — for digging
  18. scale — size or range
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. degree — an amount
  22. degree — from a university
  23. current — happening now
  24. nail — for a hammer

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