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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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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 · row · degree · fall · suit · racket · club · bay

  1. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. suit — clothes
  3. club — for dancing
  4. suit — in cards
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. row — to paddle
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. degree — an amount
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. vault — a safe
  11. fall — the season
  12. club — a group
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. degree — temperature
  16. suit — to fit
  17. row — a line
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. club — for golf
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. degree — from a university
  23. fall — to drop
  24. racket — for tennis

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