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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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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: field · perch · degree · lean · bear · cue · drill · vault

  1. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  16. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  17. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  18. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. degree — from a university
  3. drill — army training
  4. drill — the tool
  5. field — farmland
  6. vault — a safe
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. cue — a hint
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. perch — the fish
  13. cue — for pool
  14. bear — the animal
  15. degree — temperature
  16. field — a subject
  17. field — for sport
  18. degree — an amount
  19. lean — thin
  20. lean — to bend
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. bear — the animal
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. cue — a signal

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