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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
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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: plane · vault · object · firm · degree · pit · stock · dip

  1. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — from a university
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. plane — a tool
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. degree — an amount
  6. firm — steady
  7. pit — a hole
  8. object — to protest
  9. vault — a safe
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. pit — in a race
  14. dip — to sink
  15. firm — decided
  16. stock — goods
  17. stock — shares
  18. object — a thing
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. object — an aim
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. degree — temperature
  23. firm — a company
  24. plane — an aircraft

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