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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: vault · degree · bore · rash · object · perch · stock · trunk

  1. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?

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

Answer key

  1. vault — in gymnastics
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. object — to protest
  6. bore — to tire
  7. object — a thing
  8. degree — from a university
  9. stock — goods
  10. bore — to drill
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. degree — temperature
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. rash — a series
  16. object — an aim
  17. rash — hasty
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. perch — the fish
  20. stock — shares
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. vault — a safe
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. degree — an amount

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