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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 · net · pitcher · degree · board · kid · bay · mug

  1. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  22. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. net — after costs
  3. board — a committee
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. degree — temperature
  7. vault — a safe
  8. degree — an amount
  9. net — in sport
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. mug — to rob
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. board — to get on
  15. net — for catching
  16. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  17. mug — a face
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. mug — a cup
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. degree — from a university
  22. kid — child
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. kid — to tease

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