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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 116 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: swing · bay · cabinet · vault · degree · racket

  1. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  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. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. degree — from a university
  4. swing — to play on
  5. swing — music
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. degree — temperature
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. swing — in golf
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. vault — a safe
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. cabinet — ministers
  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