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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 116 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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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 · key · safe · rush · can · pop · bat · vault

  1. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  18. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. can — a tin
  3. key — the most important part
  4. can — a tin
  5. pop — music
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. rush — hurry
  9. bat — the animal
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. bat — in an idiom
  12. key — for a lock
  13. key — in music
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. vault — a safe
  17. degree — from a university
  18. degree — an amount
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. bat — for baseball
  22. pop — soda
  23. pop — to visit
  24. degree — temperature

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