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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: degree · bound · straw · scale · vault · calf · race · object

  1. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  23. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. bound — obliged
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. object — to protest
  6. degree — from a university
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. scale — in music
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. object — a thing
  12. scale — size or range
  13. race — humankind
  14. object — an aim
  15. degree — temperature
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. bound — certain
  18. race — a contest
  19. vault — a safe
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. race — the arms race
  23. degree — an amount
  24. straw — dry grass

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