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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: vault · degree · fan · object · suit · mine · toast · pitch

  1. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  24. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. vault — a safe
  4. degree — an amount
  5. suit — clothes
  6. object — a thing
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. suit — in cards
  9. degree — temperature
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. object — to protest
  13. pitch — completely
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. toast — a drink to someone
  16. suit — to fit
  17. mine — for digging
  18. toast — the most admired
  19. object — an aim
  20. degree — from a university
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. toast — bread
  24. vault — an arched ceiling

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