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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: perch · degree · vault · nail · present · pitcher · march · bound

  1. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  2. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?

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

Answer key

  1. degree — from a university
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. degree — temperature
  4. present — there
  5. present — the time now
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. march — the month
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. bound — certain
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. march — music
  12. march — the month
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. perch — the fish
  20. present — a gift
  21. bound — obliged
  22. bound — tied together
  23. vault — a safe
  24. degree — an amount

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