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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: bat · dip · saw · degree · key · cue · vault · jam

  1. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  2. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  23. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — temperature
  2. degree — from a university
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. jam — a tight spot
  6. key — in music
  7. cue — for pool
  8. dip — to sink
  9. vault — a safe
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. bat — for baseball
  12. saw — the tool
  13. degree — an amount
  14. saw — the tool
  15. key — the most important part
  16. jam — to spread on bread
  17. cue — a hint
  18. bat — the animal
  19. cue — a signal
  20. key — for a lock
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. jam — in traffic
  23. bat — in an idiom
  24. saw — past of 'see'

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