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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: sharp · deal · pit · degree · key · file · charge · vault

  1. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  2. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  20. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. degree — an amount
  3. vault — a safe
  4. key — in music
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. file — a tool
  7. charge — a price
  8. pit — in a race
  9. charge — in control
  10. charge — electricity
  11. pit — a hole
  12. key — for a lock
  13. file — a line of people
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. file — a document
  18. key — the most important part
  19. degree — from a university
  20. degree — temperature
  21. deal — to handle
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. sharp — clever
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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