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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: vault · pitcher · nail · stem · hide · pop · degree · chip

  1. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. vault — a safe
  6. degree — temperature
  7. stem — to come from
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. chip — to eat
  12. chip — for betting
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. degree — from a university
  16. pop — music
  17. degree — an amount
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. pop — to visit
  24. pop — soda

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