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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: degree · vault · prune · rule · toast · pass

  1. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  2. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — an amount
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. toast — the most admired
  4. vault — a safe
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. degree — from a university
  7. rule — a law
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. toast — a drink to someone
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. prune — to trim
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. pass — a permit
  14. degree — temperature
  15. rule — government
  16. toast — bread
  17. prune — to trim
  18. prune — the fruit

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