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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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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: fan · degree · kick · rest · bank · jam · perch · vault

  1. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  5. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. rest — what's left
  3. bank — for money
  4. degree — temperature
  5. jam — in traffic
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. kick — in football
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. rest — what's left
  10. jam — a tight spot
  11. perch — the fish
  12. jam — to spread on bread
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. degree — an amount
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. bank — of a river
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. vault — a safe
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. rest — a break
  23. degree — from a university
  24. bank — for money

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