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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: degree · file · rash · current · sharp · toast · game · vault

  1. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  10. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  19. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  22. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. degree — an amount
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. game — a match
  5. file — a line of people
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. sharp — clever
  8. current — happening now
  9. degree — temperature
  10. toast — bread
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. current — of water
  15. vault — a safe
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. game — wild animals
  18. file — a tool
  19. degree — from a university
  20. current — electric
  21. toast — the most admired
  22. toast — a drink to someone
  23. rash — hasty
  24. file — a document

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