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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: pass · mouse · spring · degree · plane · kid · vault · mark

  1. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  2. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  8. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  9. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — from a university
  2. degree — an amount
  3. pass — a permit
  4. mark — a grade
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. vault — a safe
  7. kid — child
  8. spring — the season
  9. degree — temperature
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. spring — of water
  14. kid — to tease
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. plane — a tool
  17. spring — a coil
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. mark — a trace
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. pass — to spend time

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