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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: vault · charge · degree · net · file · pitch · lash · perch

  1. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. degree — from a university
  4. vault — a safe
  5. degree — an amount
  6. net — in sport
  7. charge — in control
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. pitch — completely
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. file — a line of people
  15. net — for catching
  16. degree — temperature
  17. charge — a price
  18. file — a document
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. perch — the fish
  21. file — a tool
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. charge — electricity
  24. net — after costs

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