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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: cap · kick · pop · degree · patient · vault · race · fan

  1. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  15. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  16. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. race — a contest
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. cap — a hat
  8. degree — an amount
  9. pop — soda
  10. pop — to visit
  11. kick — in football
  12. pop — music
  13. cap — a lid
  14. degree — temperature
  15. race — humankind
  16. race — the arms race
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. degree — from a university
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. cap — of ice
  24. kick — a thrill

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