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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: degree · bulb · vault · racket · stand · mate · rule · current

  1. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  6. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. mate — a friend
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. current — of water
  5. degree — temperature
  6. degree — from a university
  7. bulb — for light
  8. degree — an amount
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. rule — government
  11. current — happening now
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. mate — to breed
  15. current — electric
  16. mate — a partner
  17. vault — a safe
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. rule — a law
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. stand — to bear
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. rule — to rule out

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