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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: degree · fine · pit · rash · rock · game · trunk · vault

  1. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. rash — hasty
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. pit — a hole
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. degree — from a university
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. game — a match
  11. degree — temperature
  12. pit — in a race
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. vault — a safe
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. fine — all right
  18. rash — a series
  19. degree — an amount
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. rock — a stone
  22. game — wild animals
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. fine — high quality

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