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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: key · tube · vault · degree · net · craft · calf · snap

  1. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. degree — an amount
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. net — in sport
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. snap — to click
  8. net — for catching
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. craft — a skill
  11. key — the most important part
  12. degree — temperature
  13. tube — the underground
  14. degree — from a university
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. vault — a safe
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. tube — a container
  19. craft — boats
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. key — in music
  22. key — for a lock
  23. net — after costs
  24. snap — to speak sharply

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