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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 120 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: row · wake · key · cue · degree · vault · dip · tube

  1. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  22. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. degree — from a university
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. row — a quarrel
  5. cue — a hint
  6. degree — an amount
  7. key — the most important part
  8. wake — a trail
  9. tube — the underground
  10. key — in music
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. tube — a container
  15. row — a line
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. cue — for pool
  19. key — for a lock
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. row — to paddle
  22. degree — temperature
  23. cue — a signal
  24. dip — to sink

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