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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: leaves · vault · row · pass · game · stick · degree · prune

  1. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. game — wild animals
  5. degree — an amount
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. vault — a safe
  9. degree — from a university
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. row — to paddle
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. degree — temperature
  15. row — a line
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. game — a match
  18. pass — a permit
  19. prune — to trim
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. prune — to trim

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