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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: chair · mouse · rash · safe · vault · object · pitcher · degree

  1. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  2. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. vault — in gymnastics
  2. degree — from a university
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. chair — to sit on
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. chair — a professorship
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. object — an aim
  11. rash — hasty
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. degree — temperature
  14. rash — a series
  15. object — to protest
  16. degree — an amount
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. chair — a leader
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. vault — a safe
  22. object — a thing
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. mouse — for a computer

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