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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: press · chip · degree · file · saw · vault · suit · bear

  1. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — an amount
  2. file — a document
  3. bear — the animal
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. saw — the tool
  6. bear — the animal
  7. press — a publisher
  8. degree — from a university
  9. saw — the tool
  10. suit — to fit
  11. file — a tool
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. suit — clothes
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. file — a line of people
  17. chip — to eat
  18. chip — for betting
  19. degree — temperature
  20. suit — in cards
  21. press — newspapers
  22. press — to push
  23. vault — a safe
  24. vault — in gymnastics

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