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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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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: present · vault · straw · suit · racket · degree · cap · rest

  1. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  6. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. rest — what's left
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. present — a gift
  5. degree — temperature
  6. degree — from a university
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. present — the time now
  9. rest — what's left
  10. cap — a hat
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. degree — an amount
  15. vault — a safe
  16. rest — a break
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. cap — of ice
  19. present — there
  20. suit — clothes
  21. suit — in cards
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. cap — a lid

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