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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: vault · dip · firm · stem · bay · degree

  1. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. stem — to come from
  3. firm — steady
  4. degree — temperature
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. degree — from a university
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. firm — decided
  11. vault — a safe
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. dip — to sink
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. firm — a company
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. degree — an amount

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