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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: degree · board · calf · date · chip · mark · vault · bank

  1. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. Have you settled on a ________________?
  11. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  17. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — from a university
  2. board — to get on
  3. bank — of a river
  4. chip — to eat
  5. degree — temperature
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. bank — for money
  9. board — a committee
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. degree — an amount
  12. mark — a trace
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. vault — a safe
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. date — the fruit
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. bank — for money
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. chip — for betting
  22. mark — a grade
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. calf — a young animal

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