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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: pit · sharp · craft · cabinet · net · vault · bay · degree

  1. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  9. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. pit — in a race
  3. craft — boats
  4. vault — a safe
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. net — for catching
  8. degree — an amount
  9. degree — from a university
  10. sharp — clever
  11. net — in sport
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. craft — a skill
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. degree — temperature
  18. net — after costs
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. pit — a hole
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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