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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 116 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: perch · vault · cabinet · file · deal · drill · degree · saw

  1. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  18. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. file — a document
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. saw — the tool
  8. drill — the tool
  9. file — a tool
  10. drill — a practice
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. vault — a safe
  15. saw — the tool
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. degree — temperature
  18. degree — an amount
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. degree — from a university
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. perch — the fish
  23. deal — to handle
  24. file — a line of people

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