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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. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. net — after costs
  7. degree — from a university
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. perch — the fish
  10. degree — an amount
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. band — a ring
  14. net — in sport
  15. degree — temperature
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. shower — to wash
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. shower — rain
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. band — a music group
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. net — for catching
  24. perch — for a bird

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