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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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Word bank
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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: rock · ball · bear · degree · chair · cap · vault · season

  1. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. degree — from a university
  3. cap — a lid
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. rock — a stone
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. ball — a dance
  10. chair — to sit on
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. chair — a professorship
  13. bear — the animal
  14. bear — the animal
  15. rock — music
  16. season — in sport
  17. cap — of ice
  18. degree — an amount
  19. chair — a leader
  20. season — of the year
  21. cap — a hat
  22. degree — temperature
  23. ball — a great time
  24. rock — to move gently

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