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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: key · bank · perch · degree · capital · vault · pound · racket

  1. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  15. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  16. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — temperature
  2. key — for a lock
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. capital — a city
  5. bank — of a river
  6. key — in music
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. capital — money
  9. perch — the fish
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. bank — for money
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. pound — a weight
  14. pound — for dogs
  15. degree — from a university
  16. capital — a big letter
  17. vault — a safe
  18. degree — an amount
  19. key — the most important part
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. bank — for money
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. pound — to hit hard

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