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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: kid · board · toast · ruler · degree · vault · wound · march

  1. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  6. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  7. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  8. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  14. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  18. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  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. march — music
  2. vault — a safe
  3. wound — an injury
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. toast — the most admired
  6. march — the month
  7. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  8. degree — temperature
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. kid — child
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. board — to get on
  13. degree — an amount
  14. kid — to tease
  15. board — a committee
  16. wound — an injury
  17. toast — a drink to someone
  18. march — the month
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. wound — past of 'wind'
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. toast — bread
  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