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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 120 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
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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: degree · file · mouse · charge · capital · vault · pit · spring

  1. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  2. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  17. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a big letter
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. spring — the season
  4. degree — temperature
  5. file — a document
  6. degree — from a university
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. pit — in a race
  9. charge — electricity
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. file — a line of people
  13. vault — a safe
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. charge — a price
  16. capital — money
  17. capital — a city
  18. spring — a coil
  19. pit — a hole
  20. spring — of water
  21. charge — in control
  22. file — a tool
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. degree — an amount

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