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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. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  8. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. mark — a grade
  3. vault — a safe
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. net — in sport
  7. degree — temperature
  8. degree — from a university
  9. mark — a trace
  10. net — for catching
  11. lean — to bend
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. prune — to trim
  15. rock — a stone
  16. lean — thin
  17. rock — music
  18. degree — an amount
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. prune — to trim
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. net — after costs

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