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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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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: row · charge · bound · prune · tube · vault · degree · chair

  1. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  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. row — a line
  2. chair — a professorship
  3. tube — the underground
  4. charge — electricity
  5. charge — a price
  6. tube — a container
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. charge — in control
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. chair — a leader
  11. vault — a safe
  12. degree — an amount
  13. prune — to trim
  14. row — to paddle
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. degree — from a university
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. bound — certain
  20. chair — to sit on
  21. bound — tied together
  22. bound — obliged
  23. prune — to trim
  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