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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: vault · jam · straw · lean · land · degree · foot · suit

  1. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  2. When are we going to ________________?
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  8. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  19. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — from a university
  2. land — to come down
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. suit — clothes
  5. foot — a measure
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. degree — an amount
  8. jam — a tight spot
  9. suit — in cards
  10. lean — thin
  11. vault — a safe
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. lean — to bend
  14. jam — to spread on bread
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. land — a country
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. degree — temperature
  19. jam — in traffic
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. land — ground
  23. suit — to fit
  24. straw — to clutch at straws

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