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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: net · saw · vault · rule · safe · degree · bass · chair

  1. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  14. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  15. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. net — for catching
  3. rule — a law
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. saw — the tool
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. net — after costs
  9. bass — the fish
  10. degree — an amount
  11. net — in sport
  12. rule — government
  13. degree — temperature
  14. degree — from a university
  15. chair — a professorship
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. chair — a leader
  18. saw — the tool
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. chair — to sit on
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. bass — low music
  23. vault — a safe
  24. vault — in gymnastics

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