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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 120 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: current · vault · bass · snap · pit · calf · cue · degree

  1. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. current — happening now
  4. snap — to click
  5. cue — for pool
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. current — of water
  8. pit — in a race
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. degree — an amount
  11. cue — a hint
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. degree — from a university
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. bass — the fish
  17. cue — a signal
  18. current — electric
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. bass — low music
  21. vault — a safe
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. degree — temperature

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