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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: degree · vault · current · charge · cue · bark · last · arm

  1. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  2. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  15. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  18. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. degree — temperature
  3. cue — a hint
  4. charge — a price
  5. vault — a safe
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. last — to go on
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. cue — for pool
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. cue — a signal
  13. charge — in control
  14. last — finally
  15. degree — from a university
  16. current — of water
  17. bark — of a tree
  18. bark — to shout
  19. charge — electricity
  20. current — electric
  21. arm — a part of something
  22. last — final
  23. degree — an amount
  24. current — happening now

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