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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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Word bank
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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: firm · press · vault · board · degree · current

  1. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  2. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  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. press — newspapers
  2. degree — temperature
  3. current — electric
  4. press — to push
  5. firm — a company
  6. current — of water
  7. board — a committee
  8. current — happening now
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. press — a publisher
  11. firm — decided
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. board — to get on
  15. degree — an amount
  16. vault — a safe
  17. firm — steady
  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