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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: degree · date · deal · chip · bore · vault · pitcher · bound

  1. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  11. Have you settled on a ________________?
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. bound — tied together
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. bore — to tire
  7. degree — from a university
  8. chip — to eat
  9. bound — obliged
  10. degree — an amount
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. vault — a safe
  13. bore — to drill
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. date — the fruit
  16. bound — certain
  17. degree — temperature
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. deal — to handle
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. chip — for betting

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