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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
468
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: foot · object · clip · mug · scale · vault · degree · cap

  1. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  10. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  11. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. object — to protest
  3. object — a thing
  4. vault — a safe
  5. mug — a face
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. cap — a hat
  9. clip — for paper
  10. clip — to cut
  11. degree — from a university
  12. cap — a lid
  13. degree — an amount
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. cap — of ice
  16. mug — to rob
  17. degree — temperature
  18. mug — a cup
  19. object — an aim
  20. foot — part of the body
  21. scale — in music
  22. clip — a video
  23. foot — a measure
  24. foot — the bottom

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