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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: rock · perch · bulb · chair · wound · vault · degree · branch

  1. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  17. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  18. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. perch — the fish
  3. rock — a stone
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. degree — from a university
  7. bulb — for light
  8. degree — temperature
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. vault — a safe
  11. wound — an injury
  12. bulb — for light
  13. branch — a division
  14. chair — a leader
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. wound — an injury
  17. degree — an amount
  18. chair — a professorship
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. rock — music
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. chair — to sit on

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