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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: vault · mug · degree · perch · cabinet · field · hide · cell

  1. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. He was locked up in a ________________.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  22. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — in gymnastics
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. field — farmland
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. cell — in a prison
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. mug — to rob
  8. mug — a face
  9. field — for sport
  10. mug — a cup
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. perch — the fish
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. cell — a phone
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. degree — temperature
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. cell — in biology
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. degree — an amount
  22. field — a subject
  23. vault — a safe
  24. degree — from a university

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