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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 120 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: stick · straw · cabinet · degree · scale · vault

  1. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  7. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. vault — a safe
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. degree — temperature
  7. degree — from a university
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. degree — an amount
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. scale — size or range
  18. stick — to attach or keep to

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