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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: vault · rash · can · degree · game · fall · pit · mate

  1. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. game — wild animals
  3. can — a tin
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. pit — a hole
  7. fall — the season
  8. fall — to drop
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. rash — a series
  11. rash — hasty
  12. degree — from a university
  13. mate — a friend
  14. pit — in a race
  15. degree — temperature
  16. can — to be able to
  17. mate — a partner
  18. fall — to drop
  19. degree — an amount
  20. can — a tin
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. game — a match
  24. vault — a safe

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