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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
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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 · shower · field · vault · key · pitch · lean · charge

  1. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  2. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  12. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  13. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  23. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  24. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. degree — an amount
  4. vault — a safe
  5. charge — electricity
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. key — in music
  9. pitch — completely
  10. lean — thin
  11. shower — a meteor shower
  12. field — for sport
  13. degree — temperature
  14. charge — in control
  15. key — for a lock
  16. shower — to wash
  17. charge — a price
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. lean — to bend
  20. field — a subject
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. degree — from a university
  23. shower — rain
  24. field — farmland

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