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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: cue · file · prune · key · degree · temple · craft · vault

  1. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  2. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  24. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. file — a line of people
  3. file — a tool
  4. cue — a signal
  5. key — in music
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. vault — a safe
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. prune — to trim
  10. cue — a hint
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. key — for a lock
  13. key — the most important part
  14. craft — a skill
  15. file — a document
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. craft — boats
  19. degree — an amount
  20. cue — for pool
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. degree — temperature
  24. degree — from a university

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