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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: face · craft · pound · game · degree · safe · pop · vault

  1. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. degree — temperature
  3. pound — a weight
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. pop — music
  8. face — to point toward
  9. face — part of the head
  10. game — wild animals
  11. vault — a safe
  12. craft — a skill
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. pop — to visit
  15. degree — from a university
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. degree — an amount
  22. craft — boats
  23. game — a match
  24. face — to confront

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