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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 · rule · perch · cue · cap · vault

  1. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  5. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. cap — a lid
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. degree — temperature
  5. degree — an amount
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. rule — government
  8. cue — a hint
  9. cue — a signal
  10. cap — a hat
  11. rule — a law
  12. degree — from a university
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. cap — of ice
  16. perch — the fish
  17. cue — for pool
  18. perch — for a bird

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