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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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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: pitcher · ground · wake · firm · roll · current · degree · vault

  1. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. We're on a ________________ here.
  21. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  22. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. current — of water
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. ground — crushed
  6. firm — a company
  7. firm — decided
  8. firm — steady
  9. ground — the earth
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. degree — temperature
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. wake — a trail
  17. current — electric
  18. roll — a list
  19. ground — a position
  20. roll — on a roll
  21. roll — a cake
  22. degree — an amount
  23. current — happening now
  24. degree — from a university

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