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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.

Make a worksheet

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: staff · can · vault · ball · chest · mark · file · degree

  1. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  23. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  24. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. file — a tool
  3. staff — employees
  4. can — a tin
  5. staff — a stick
  6. mark — a trace
  7. degree — from a university
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. can — to be able to
  10. file — a document
  11. vault — a safe
  12. degree — an amount
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. chest — of your body
  15. staff — employees
  16. degree — temperature
  17. mark — a grade
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. ball — a dance
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. can — a tin
  22. chest — a box
  23. chest — of your body
  24. file — a line of people

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