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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 · trunk · cap · degree · cue · chair · deal · branch

  1. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  10. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?

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

Answer key

  1. chair — to sit on
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. deal — to handle
  4. branch — a division
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. cap — a lid
  7. cue — a hint
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. degree — from a university
  10. chair — a leader
  11. cap — a hat
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. vault — a safe
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. cue — a signal
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. chair — a professorship
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. cap — of ice
  22. degree — temperature
  23. cue — for pool
  24. degree — an amount

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