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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 · trunk · cap · degree · cue · chair

  1. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. degree — from a university
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. chair — a leader
  7. vault — a safe
  8. cue — a signal
  9. cap — a hat
  10. cap — of ice
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. degree — temperature
  14. cue — for pool
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. degree — an amount
  18. cap — a lid

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