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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: row · bark · vault · toast · bank · perch · pass · degree

  1. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  22. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. bank — for money
  3. degree — temperature
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. bark — to shout
  6. degree — an amount
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. toast — the most admired
  9. perch — the fish
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. bank — of a river
  12. degree — from a university
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. vault — a safe
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. toast — a drink to someone
  18. row — a line
  19. row — to paddle
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. toast — bread
  22. row — a quarrel
  23. bank — for money
  24. pass — a permit

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