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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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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: rush · sharp · degree · stock · board · kick · vault · firm

  1. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. sharp — clever
  3. degree — temperature
  4. stock — shares
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. stock — goods
  8. rush — hurry
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. board — to get on
  12. kick — in football
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. firm — decided
  15. board — a committee
  16. vault — a safe
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. degree — from a university
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. firm — steady
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. degree — an amount
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. firm — a company

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