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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: straw · ruler · drill · can · dip · degree · vault · chip

  1. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  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. chip — for betting
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. degree — from a university
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. vault — a safe
  8. drill — army training
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. can — a tin
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. degree — temperature
  14. can — to be able to
  15. drill — the tool
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. dip — to sink
  18. drill — a practice
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. can — a tin
  22. chip — to eat
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  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