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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: pass · drill · bulb · charge · straw · march · vault · degree

  1. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  24. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — temperature
  2. charge — in control
  3. drill — army training
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. charge — a price
  7. pass — a permit
  8. bulb — for light
  9. degree — from a university
  10. vault — a safe
  11. march — music
  12. march — the month
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. drill — the tool
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. drill — a practice
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. charge — electricity
  22. bulb — for light
  23. degree — an amount
  24. march — the month

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