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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 124 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. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  23. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. degree — temperature
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. stem — to come from
  6. charge — electricity
  7. file — a tool
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. charge — a price
  10. suit — in cards
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. degree — from a university
  13. can — a tin
  14. charge — in control
  15. can — a tin
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. file — a document
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. deal — to handle
  20. suit — to fit
  21. can — to be able to
  22. degree — an amount
  23. file — a line of people
  24. suit — clothes

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