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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 116 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 · perch · fall · ruler · fork

  1. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  12. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. degree — temperature
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. degree — an amount
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. degree — from a university
  12. fall — to drop
  13. perch — the fish
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. fork — in a road
  17. fall — the season
  18. fall — to drop

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