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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: root · degree · last · craft · press · saw · cap · vault

  1. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  2. False peace will not ________________.
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  18. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — in gymnastics
  2. last — to go on
  3. press — a publisher
  4. saw — the tool
  5. vault — a safe
  6. craft — a skill
  7. last — final
  8. cap — a hat
  9. cap — of ice
  10. degree — an amount
  11. root — of a plant
  12. press — to push
  13. saw — the tool
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. cap — a lid
  16. press — newspapers
  17. degree — from a university
  18. degree — temperature
  19. root — of a word
  20. craft — boats
  21. last — finally
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. root — the cause

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