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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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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: safe · cap · vault · degree · foot · bulb · bat · net

  1. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  2. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  14. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  23. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  24. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — from a university
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. cap — a lid
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. cap — a hat
  8. net — in sport
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. net — for catching
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. degree — an amount
  14. bat — in an idiom
  15. bulb — for light
  16. foot — a measure
  17. vault — a safe
  18. cap — of ice
  19. net — after costs
  20. bat — for baseball
  21. bulb — for light
  22. degree — temperature
  23. bat — the animal
  24. vault — an arched ceiling

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