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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: degree · rock · roll · vault · chair · toast · stand · saw

  1. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  6. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  7. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  8. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  9. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. We're on a ________________ here.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  20. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  21. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  22. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. toast — the most admired
  3. rock — music
  4. rock — a stone
  5. degree — from a university
  6. chair — a professorship
  7. degree — an amount
  8. degree — temperature
  9. roll — a list
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. saw — the tool
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. roll — on a roll
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. stand — to bear
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. saw — the tool
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. chair — to sit on
  20. toast — bread
  21. toast — a drink to someone
  22. roll — a cake
  23. chair — a leader
  24. vault — a safe

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