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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: rest · bat · can · degree · stem · jam · vault · net

  1. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  10. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  18. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  19. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. bat — for baseball
  3. can — a tin
  4. net — after costs
  5. rest — a break
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. jam — a tight spot
  8. rest — what's left
  9. jam — in traffic
  10. degree — temperature
  11. rest — what's left
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. can — to be able to
  14. net — in sport
  15. can — a tin
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. jam — to spread on bread
  18. degree — an amount
  19. bat — the animal
  20. vault — a safe
  21. bat — in an idiom
  22. stem — to come from
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. degree — from a university

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