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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 120 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. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — the bottom
  2. vault — a safe
  3. degree — an amount
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. pass — a permit
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. scale — in music
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. scale — size or range
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. chip — to eat
  17. degree — from a university
  18. foot — a measure
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. degree — temperature
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. chip — for betting
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. vault — an arched ceiling

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