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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 116 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: bat · degree · charge · bay · pop · vault · lie · wound

  1. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  7. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  16. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  24. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — in gymnastics
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. pop — soda
  5. pop — music
  6. degree — an amount
  7. wound — an injury
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. bat — in an idiom
  10. charge — a price
  11. lie — to recline
  12. wound — an injury
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. vault — a safe
  15. bat — for baseball
  16. degree — temperature
  17. charge — electricity
  18. charge — in control
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. wound — past of 'wind'
  21. pop — to visit
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. bat — the animal
  24. degree — from a university

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