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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: calf · mark · file · object · degree · cue · scale · vault

  1. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  10. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  11. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. cue — a hint
  3. object — a thing
  4. vault — a safe
  5. object — an aim
  6. cue — a signal
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. cue — for pool
  9. degree — from a university
  10. file — a line of people
  11. degree — an amount
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. file — a tool
  15. degree — temperature
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. scale — in music
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. mark — a grade
  21. file — a document
  22. mark — a trace
  23. scale — size or range
  24. object — to protest

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