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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: bay · perch · vault · press · fork · deal · degree · fall

  1. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. press — to push
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. press — newspapers
  8. vault — a safe
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. fork — in a road
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. degree — an amount
  13. fall — to drop
  14. deal — to handle
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. degree — temperature
  18. fall — to drop
  19. degree — from a university
  20. perch — the fish
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. press — a publisher
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. fork — a garden tool

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