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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: cabinet · vault · race · court · bulb · degree

  1. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  12. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — temperature
  2. court — of a king
  3. bulb — for light
  4. race — the arms race
  5. court — of law
  6. bulb — for light
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. race — humankind
  12. race — a contest
  13. court — for sport
  14. vault — a safe
  15. degree — an amount
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. degree — from a university

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