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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: bowl · branch · degree · vault · rule · bay

  1. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a part of the sea
  2. rule — government
  3. degree — an amount
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. degree — temperature
  6. rule — a law
  7. vault — a safe
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. degree — from a university
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. branch — a division
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. bowl — to roll

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