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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: vault · pitcher · cabinet · kick · racket · degree · bowl · rule

  1. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  2. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — an amount
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. vault — a safe
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. rule — government
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. kick — in football
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. degree — temperature
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. rule — a law
  23. degree — from a university
  24. kick — with a leg

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