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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: rock · degree · pitcher · ruler · calf · vault · file · craft

  1. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  2. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  12. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  17. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. degree — an amount
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. craft — a skill
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. craft — boats
  11. file — a document
  12. file — a line of people
  13. file — a tool
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. degree — from a university
  17. degree — temperature
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. rock — a stone
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. vault — a safe
  24. rock — music

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